And they also suggest that first aiders should press on the neck and spine and palpate the abdomen!!!



To quote your phrase "what on earth is that about?

Don't do it.

First aiders are not going to find a lot on SS, if its not obvious they wont see it. One of my neighbors fell down stairs and broke his pelvis, the ambulance lads checked him over they could not find it and let him walk to the van! O yes it did hurt. If they have wet themselves think broken pelvis if its smokey red it what I was told by the paraladsnlasses

The technique used to be used to detect un-natural movement and crepitus to ascertain a #pelvis but the practice is no longer used as it can cause more trauma or can cause secondary trauma in the case of an actual #pelvis.



If a #pelvis is suspected, which is mainly due to mechanism of injury, presence of incontinent of urine, severe pain, etc. they the patient should be kept still and not moved.



Best practice in the ambulance service is to apply a pelvic sling and 'scoop' the patient onto an appropriate stretcher. 

A bit tired at the moment. Not long finished from over 16 hours. Has been busy! So if I miss something, apologies,   but .......



You will not detect a pelvic fracture in the pubic area just by feeling down the outside. Suggest your candidates check & eliminate bleeding, look for the overt signs of hip or pelvic injury. If you know the MoI, then if MoI indicates hip/pelvic injury, then they have one until proven otherwise i.e. by X-ray, not by feel. How many Joe Average first aiders are likely to have sufficient experience to feel around someone's hips and determine that something feels unusual?



I know there will be exceptions, but for the average first aider, keep it simple and do not point them in a direction that could cause serious harm to their patient

Ah, thanks very much, I'm missing a couple of decades.
Useful to know whence that came to be able to point out it's a discontinued practice in current editions.

The 1965 (2nd ed) tripartite VAS manual is quite interesting from a historical perspective c.f the back to basics contemporary FAW literature; Silvester method, nerve gas tx, nuclear attack tx and the cold war / civil defence stuff.

daveolley
And they also suggest that first aiders should press on the neck and spine and palpate the abdomen!!!

et al [can't see how to multiquote]


The instructor isn't teaching the delegates to or rock or spring the pelvis, palpate the pelvis, abdomen c-spine (before roll to recovery pos'n) etc, they dont have a healthcare background to be able to instruct that; that's something one or two delegates have taken in presumably from previous FA or FAW courses.

MoI = Mechanism of Injury