Air Splints

[Guest guest]

I have no use for anything that can cause compartment syndrome.

Gene G.

>

> What are ya'lls opinions on air splints vs. other options (ie. vacuum,

> board, SAM, pillow, wire)

>

> We just ran a call where the pt was in an MVC and had an open R ankle Fx

> that was displaced badly. The ambulance crew applied an air splint, and I

> thought in that situation that an air splint might impede distal circulation,

> especially since the foot was pale & cool, although the pt could move toes but

> could not feel.

>

> I know you have to be careful how much air you air them up with, but I just

> don't like them. The whole extremity is covered so you cannot palpate pulses

> and asses very well, and yes they are clear plastic but you cannot see well

> through them.

>

> What are ya'lls 2 cents (or more)?

>

> Red

> emsfire@...

>

>

[Guest guest]

My opinion of air splints is simple, take them off the truck, they are

useless in the practice of EMS and as gene pointed out are a potential cause

for

compartment syndrome. They are also at minimum unreliable as a true 'splint " .

Louis N. Molino, Sr., CET

FF/NREMT-B/FSI/EMSI

Owner and President of LNM Emergency Services Consulting Services (LNMECS)

Freelance Consultant/Trainer/Author/Journalist/Fire Protection Consultant

LNMolino@...

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[Guest guest]

What are ya'lls opinions on air splints vs. other options (ie. vacuum, board,

SAM, pillow, wire)

We just ran a call where the pt was in an MVC and had an open R ankle Fx that

was displaced badly. The ambulance crew applied an air splint, and I thought in

that situation that an air splint might impede distal circulation, especially

since the foot was pale & cool, although the pt could move toes but could not

feel.

I know you have to be careful how much air you air them up with, but I just

don't like them. The whole extremity is covered so you cannot palpate pulses and

asses very well, and yes they are clear plastic but you cannot see well through

them.

What are ya'lls 2 cents (or more)?

Red

emsfire@...

[Guest guest]

Hey Red,

Personally, I love Air Splints. They were HEAVILY used where I did

my initial training for my Basic, so I guess that's how I came to like

them. I think they can be a tremendous asset, when used correctly. But,

I must stress that an Air Splint is not the tool of choice for all

situations. I think that every splint has its situation that it works

well in. I love to use the Air Splint in ankle fractures and in upper

extremity fractures. That being said, I won't use an air splint in an

open fracture. It's my opinion that an air splint would place

unnecessary pressure on whatever bone is fractured. I don't have any

evidence to back that up, but that's how I look at it. I can't help but

wonder if after bandaging (gauze, etc) an open fracture of an ankle, if

a more appropriate choice would have been either a pillow or some sort

of padded rigid splint would have been more appropriate?

That's my 2 cents.

-Ben

ReD wrote:

>

> What are ya'lls opinions on air splints vs. other options (ie. vacuum,

> board, SAM, pillow, wire)

>

> We just ran a call where the pt was in an MVC and had an open R ankle

> Fx that was displaced badly. The ambulance crew applied an air splint,

> and I thought in that situation that an air splint might impede distal

> circulation, especially since the foot was pale & cool, although the

> pt could move toes but could not feel.

>

> I know you have to be careful how much air you air them up with, but I

> just don't like them. The whole extremity is covered so you cannot

> palpate pulses and asses very well, and yes they are clear plastic but

> you cannot see well through them.

>

> What are ya'lls 2 cents (or more)?

>

> Red

> emsfire@... <mailto:emsfire%40redsanders.com>

>

>

[Guest guest]

My area we do not use air splints because of elevation changes, we

start about 2000 foot and get to over 5000 foot and its up and down

the whole 90 miles. If we did use them some of the time they would

be to tight and then to loose. The medic could do no other patient

care other than trying to adjust air pressure if we used them. You

should watch a plastic soda bottle, sometimes it's ridgid somtimes

its soft. So if we used an air splint we would potentially cause

more pain and damage to our patients.

Renny Spencer

EMT-B ( maybe next update an EMT-I)

Presidio

>

> What are ya'lls opinions on air splints vs. other options (ie.

vacuum, board, SAM, pillow, wire)

>

> We just ran a call where the pt was in an MVC and had an open R

ankle Fx that was displaced badly. The ambulance crew applied an air

splint, and I thought in that situation that an air splint might

impede distal circulation, especially since the foot was pale & cool,

although the pt could move toes but could not feel.

>

> I know you have to be careful how much air you air them up with,

but I just don't like them. The whole extremity is covered so you

cannot palpate pulses and asses very well, and yes they are clear

plastic but you cannot see well through them.

>

> What are ya'lls 2 cents (or more)?

>

> Red

> emsfire@...

>

>

>