ABSTRACT
Normal physiology may be grossly deranged in patients who have suffered spinal cord injury. The exact nature of the dysfunction depends on the level and severity of the damage. Clearly this information will not be available to air ambulance crews in the primary retrieval role, but time spent at the roadside ensuring proper packaging and movement of the patient will be time well spent. If in doubt, all patients with the potential for spinal injury should be treated as such. Advanced trauma life support skills and knowledge are essential but the knowledgeable flight team will also take special aeromedical factors into consideration. Great care should be taken to ensure that the internal milieu of the aircraft cabin is comfortable for the patient, especially in smaller aircraft which often have poor cabin heating. the patient also requires thermal protection from both heat and cold during the ground phases of the transport.
