This is from Dr Larry Mellick Youtube channel. I highlight this video to demonstrate a couple of things.
1. Good demonstration of CMAC VL in trauma patient with cervical spine precautions
2. Leaving cervical spine collar insitu during intubation attempt. Not my recommendation but you can see it is possible when using an indirect VL like CMAC. Larry actually advises taking collar off during the video but the intubator manages to get the tube in without doing that. If possible raised ICP, probably good idea to remove cervical collar anyway
Hopefully US EMS agencies will stop boarding penetrating trauma patients, they really do not need the airway insult. Our agency has stopped, but only due to a gray area which allows some paramedic clinical judgement on the subject. (soon we hope to be 0-backboard)
We still must use MILS during trauma intubations, with no real loophole to let go if we’re unable to visualize. Yet we now do NODESAT and Bougie-First during trauma RSI…EMS is weird about moving forward 🙂