A radiological review of cervical spine injuries from an accident and emergency department: has the ATLS made a difference?

The importance of visualizing the entire cervical spine on radiological examination in patients with cervical trauma is well known. A review of the cervical films of 98 patients attending an accident and emergency (A&E) department was undertaken in order to assess the adequacy of imaging. It was found that 33.7% of the films were not sufficient to exclude fracture or dislocation of the cervical spine. The number of patients with inadequate views was significantly reduced when an advanced trauma life support trained senior doctor was involved.