A victim who has fallen, should be treated the same as?

• A. Someone who is dehydrated
• B. Someone who is unconscious
• C. If they had a broken spine or neck
• D. Someone with a sprain

Answer: (C)

When someone has fallen, you must treat them as if there could be a spinal injury. Movement can worsen a broken neck or other spinal damage, even if the person seems awake or uninjured at first. The safest approach is to keep the person still, support the head and neck in line with the spine, avoid twisting or bending, and call for medical help or trained responders to immobilize them properly. Check responsiveness and breathing, but don’t move them into a new position unless there’s an immediate danger to avoid. This mindset is the correct one after a fall because protecting the spine prevents potential catastrophic outcomes that could arise from moving someone with a possible neck or spine injury.