Grant, John Charles Boileau, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In the October, 2021 issue of Emergency Medicine Practice titled “Emergency Department Management of Cervical Spine Injuriesn” Dr Jara-Almonte and Dr Pawar describe a rapid neurological examination for the trauma primary survey based on the innervation of the hands and feet:
“A rapid neurological examination conducted during the initial resuscitative phase assesses the level of consciousness and motor function of the upper and lower extremities. A reasonable practice may be to test flexion of the fingers (C8) of both upper extremities and plantarflexion (S1) in both lower extremities, along with sensation to light touch. A more thorough examination can be conducted on secondary survey.”
For more on this topic, see Emergency Department Evaluation of Cervical Spine Injuries or listen to the free podcast interview with Dr Jara-Almonte.
Last Updated on January 25, 2023
Sam Ashoo, MD, FACEP, is board certified in emergency medicine and clinical informatics. He serves as EB Medicine’s editor-in-chief of interactive clinical pathways and FOAMEd blog, and host of EB Medicine’s EMplify podcast. Follow him below for more…
