A patient with spinal cord injury asks to be turned to their side. Which precaution is essential to prevent injury?

• A. Logroll the patient when moving
• B. Keep the patient's body in correct alignment at all times
• C. Administer morphine prior to moving
• D. Provide a bedpan prior to moving

Answer: (A)

Moving a patient with a spinal cord injury requires keeping the spine in a neutral, aligned position during the transfer, so the safest method is to logroll the patient as a single unit to the side. This technique preserves spinal alignment throughout the turn and prevents twisting, bending, or abrupt rotations that could worsen a fracture or injure the spinal cord. By moving the body as one unit, the forces are distributed along the spine rather than concentrated at a point, reducing the risk of secondary injury. In practice, this often means coordinated teamwork and supporting the head, neck, and torso to maintain a straight line as the patient is rolled.

Keeping the body in correct alignment at all times is important, but logrolling specifically ensures the movement is done without introducing rotational or lateral stresses during turning. The other options do not address protection of the spine during the maneuver: morphine before moving does not reduce injury risk and can complicate assessment, and providing a bedpan before turning is unrelated to maintaining spinal protection during the transfer.