4. TRAUMA EMERGENCIES

4.7 SPINAL COLUMN / CORD INJURIES

TREATMENT

BASIC PROCEDURES

6. Determine presence or absence of significant neurologic signs and symptoms: motor function, sensory function, reflex responses, visual inspection, bradycardia, priapism, hypotension, loss of sweating or shivering and loss of bladder/bowel control.

From the site

Massachusetts Emergency Medical Services - Trauma Emergencies ...

It is standard in North America. To be clear, the presence of pripism is an indicator, and medics check for it if other circumstance indicate there may be spinal cord compromise.

It would do little good to encounter a couple who are 'entangled' and presume from the presence of an erection that the fellow has damage to his spine. In truth, we only check if the circumstances are such taht the is a good possibility of trauma to the spine. If the guy's only complaint is a bleeding nose from a fist fight, we don't check his pecker.