Cervical spine injury should always be considered in trauma. Performing a RSI safely should minimise movement of the C spine.
Remove the anterior portion of the hard cervical collar after sedative & paralytic drugs have been administered
Maintain in-line neck stabilization using an assistant who kneels to one side of patient's head or stands by the patient's hips and bends over the patient; neck should be held in neutral position without traction
Once intubated, the collar should be reapplied after which the assistant can remove manual stabilisation
Rationale: Presence of the cervical collar can prevent adequate mouth opening to perform endotracheal intubation. In-line stabilization prevents neck movement and potential cervical spinal injury during intubation.
