A survey on the early management of spinal trauma in low and middle-income countries: From the scene of injury to the diagnostic phase (part II)

Abstract

•Most spinal trauma worldwide occurs in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Several factors may limit the applicability of current guidelines as regards the early management of spinal injury.•The pre-hospital management per se of spinal trauma in LMICs is subject to partial adherence to recommendations, with possible impact on patient outcomes.•The use of clinical (eg ASIA) and morphological (eg SLIC, TLICS, AO Spine) grading scales is not homogeneous.•The availability and cost of diagnostic equipment, and the timing of emergency imaging can vary significantly from one region to another, probably affecting the timely management of spinal injury patients.•The introduction of resource-targeted guidelines for spinal trauma may be a valuable option to overcome the limitations of real-life application of current guidelines.