Cervical collar

For the surgical procedure of putting a collar around the cervix, see Cervical cerclage.
Cervical collar
A man in a hospital bed wearing a cervical collar following a suspected spinal cord injury

A cervical collar, also known as a neck brace, is a medical device used to support and immobilize a person's neck. It is also applied by emergency personnel to those who have had traumatic head or neck injuries,[1] although they should not be routinely used in prehospital care.[2][3] They can also be used to treat chronic medical conditions.

Whenever people have a traumatic head or neck injury, they may have a cervical fracture. This makes them at high risk for spinal cord injury, which could be exacerbated by movement of the person and could lead to paralysis or death. A common scenario for this injury would be a person suspected of having whiplash because of a car accident.[4] In order to prevent further injury, such people may have a collar placed by medical professionals until X-rays can be taken to determine if a cervical spine fracture exists.[5] Medical professionals will often use the NEXUS criteria and/or the Canadian C-spine rules to clear a cervical collar and determine the need for imaging.

The routine use of a cervical collar is not recommended.[2][3][6]

Cervical collars are also used therapeutically to help realign the spinal cord and relieve pain,[7] although they are usually not worn for long periods of time.[8] Another use of the cervical collar is for strains, sprains, or whiplash.[4][5] If pain is persistent, the collar might be required to remain attached to help in the healing process.[5][7] A person may also need a cervical collar, or may require a halo fixation device to support the neck during recovery after surgery such as cervical spinal fusion.[9]

  1. ^ Mistovich JJ, Hafen BQ, Karren KJ (2000). Brady Prehospital Emergency Care (6 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. pp. 662. ISBN 978-0-8359-6064-9.
  2. ^ a b Sundstrøm T, Asbjørnsen H, Habiba S, Sunde GA, Wester K (2014-03-15). "Prehospital Use of Cervical Collars in Trauma Patients: A Critical Review". Journal of Neurotrauma. 31 (6): 531–540. doi:10.1089/neu.2013.3094. ISSN 0897-7151. PMC 3949434. PMID 23962031.
  3. ^ a b "INTERNATIONAL TRAUMA LIFE SUPPORT: THE USE OF CERVICAL COLLARS IN SPINAL MOTION RESTRICTION" (PDF). International Trauma Life Support. 2019.
  4. ^ a b DerSarkissian C, ed. (14 April 2021). "Whiplash". WebMD. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  5. ^ a b c "Neck Strains". WebMD. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  6. ^ Zideman DA, De Buck ED, Singletary EM, Cassan P, Chalkias AF, Evans TR, et al. (October 2015). "European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Resuscitation 2015 Section 9. First aid". Resuscitation. 95: 278–287. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2015.07.031. PMID 26477417.
  7. ^ a b Watson S (21 April 2021). Wheeler T (ed.). "Physical Therapy and Other Options for Neck Pain". WebMD. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  8. ^ "Office Ergonomics - Other Treatment for Injuries Related to the Workstation". WebMD. Archived from the original on 2008-03-28. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  9. ^ "Cervical spinal fusion". WebMD. Archived from the original on 2008-03-30. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
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