Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to cervical spine injury by uncertain trauma: A study of two cases

The study discusses cases where patients experienced cardiac arrest outside of the hospital due to cervical spine injuries, even when the cause of injury was not immediately clear. Emergency medical teams might not always suspect a cervical spine injury in such situations, especially if there's no obvious trauma, leading to potential delays in diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The authors highlight the importance of considering cervical spine injuries in patients presenting with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, even if the trauma seems minor or unclear, particularly if the patient has pre-existing spinal conditions.

• 1
  Delayed identification of cervical spine fractures can occur in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, particularly when the mechanism of injury is uncertain.
• 2
  Pre-existing cervical spine lesions, such as ankylosing spondylitis or spinal metastasis from lung cancer, can increase the risk of cervical spine fractures leading to cardiac arrest.
• 3
  Emergency medical physicians may tend to overlook cervical spine injury in OHCA patients when the likelihood of trauma is unclear, potentially delaying appropriate imaging and treatment.