Re: Rigid Spine Boards

["Bruce Bowling" <caduceus@bellsouth.net>]

This is an excellent product. Just three problems.  1)  Where do you store
them in your rig or helicopter?  They are very bulky, and dependent on the
vacuum pump, which itself is quite large.  2) I have never used one of these
products that the valve does not leak.  Therefore, spend my patient care
time constantly vacuuming them down.  3) Look at the trauma courses that we
teach in the USA.  Neither PHTLS or BTLS advocate this product.  This does
not make this product unsuitable, just not the standard of care in the USA.

Bruce Bowling


> Vacuum Mattress(spineboard)
> Hartwell Medical, Inc
> 800-574-0976
>
> Have been the standard in european ems market since the early 80's.  Since
my days as a Mktg. Dir. at DynaMed in 1983-1986, Ambu Medical had attempted
to get this product into the US Marketplace.
> The concept never took off in the US...and every 2-3 years, they
re-attempt to gain US recognition.
>
> I guess maybe the killer is that unless it looks like a plywood
plank...plastic or not...there's not many EMS agencies that will make the
investment in something new.
>
> I know our biggest obsticle to purchasing these is the same as anti-shock
garments years ago.... the almighty ED Nurse with the RescueShears routine!
If they can't find the vacuum pump valve...which they NEVER can.... They
will cut a hole in your $500.00 vacuum mattress that no patch kit will fix!
> They did it when we used vacuum extremity splints....all the time!
>
> Hope that this helps!
>
> M.McLellan
> LifeNet/LifeCom/RMH-Air Methods


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