Percentage of patients undergoing cervical spine radiographs in trauma who do not have neck pain, distracting pain, neurological deficits, reduced level of consciousness or intoxication.

Number of patients who receive cervical spine radiographs for trauma who do not have neck pain, distracting pain, neurological deficits, reduced level of conciousness or intoxication.

Numerous well designed large prospective studies (specifically the NEXUS and Canadian cervical spine rule studies) have evaluated the efficacy of cervical spine radiography in trauma, and they have found that no patient has had a clinically significant cervical spine injury if they had no neck pain, no distracting pain, no neurological deficits, a normal level of consciousness and no intoxication.