Clearance of cervical spines in adult trauma patients.

Clearing the cervical spine in adult trauma patients must be done cautiously and methodically. Practitioners must be able to recognize abnormalities not only in the patient's neurological examination but also on the radiographic views obtained. A missed cervical spine injury can be a significant and catastrophic error. Nurse practitioners in the emergency department, as well as those working on an inpatient trauma service, should be confident in their ability to manage the cervical spine in the adult trauma patient population.