The challenge for Sear ch & Rescue Dave Currie Paramedic/Winchman Linda Dykes Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor Spinal Packaging when you can’t use a scoop Introduction/Background Clinical practice regarding packaging of trauma casualties is undergoing rapid change as traditional dogma is challenged. EMS organisations all over the world are abandoning spinal boards in favour of scoop stretchers, and cervical collars are also falling rapidly out of favour . Unfortunately, the logistical challenges of SAR practice may preclude the use of techniques and equipment that have found favour in “domestic” paramedic practice . For example, standard scoop stretchers were trialled but deemed unsuitable for the SAR environment as the mechanisms to join the two halves jammed when faced with ice, sand or grit. As of mid-2015, the remaining UK military SAR helicopters continue to use spinal boards, but only to provide rigidity to the base of the Tyromont ® stretcher, into which patients are placed in a vacuum mattress. The Telford Extrication Device ® and Stifneck ® collars are also carried on board. We wished to ascertain whether SAR personnel were satisfied with the equipment currently available to them, and what their priorities were. Method A survey was emailed to all UK military SAR paramedics and technicians. Participants were asked to indicate their degree of agreement with the statement “The current spinal/extrication board is fit for purpose” using a 5-point scale (Strongly agree, Agree, Indifferent, Disagree and Strongly Disagree). Participants were then invited to add free-text comments. Results 22 responses were received. 15/22 (68%) were happy with the current equipment (Agree or Strong Agree). 3/22 (14%) were very unhappy (Disagree or Strongly Disagree) and the remaining 4/22 indifferent. 75% of respondents made reference to equipment they would like to see carried, notably that they missed the recently decommissioned “Neil Robertson” stretcher (a winchable wooden spinal board with integral canvas straps to secure the casualty) and they would prefer to carry a scoop stretcher instead of a spinal board to use in the base of the Tyromont ® Stretcher , as the latter is compatible with current best practice for other usages too. Criteria for an ideal scoop device were identified as: 1. Mechanism capable of functioning in austere conditions 2. Able to be used on uneven terrain 3. Be small enough to fit inside the Stokes Litter (winching basket outer stretcher) 4. Suitable for use underneath a vacuum mattress as a lifting device 5. Ha ve attachment points for head blocks and straps 6. Be capable of single-handed use Discussion Most UK SAR medics are satisfied with the equipment currently available to them to package patents with possible spinal injury. However, there is a need for a scoop stretcher suitable for SAR use . P h o t o s c o u r t e s y F i o n a M o o r e & O g w e n V a l l e y M o u n t a i n R e s c u e O r g a n i s a t i o n

Spinal Packaging when you can't use a scoop: the challenge for SAR

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Poster presented at the 2015 RCEM conference by Dave Currie & Linda Dykes

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Page 1: Spinal Packaging when you can't use a scoop: the challenge for SAR

7/17/2019 Spinal Packaging when you can't use a scoop: the challenge for SAR

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/spinal-packaging-when-you-cant-use-a-scoop-the-challenge-for-sar 1/1

The challenge forSearch & RescueDave CurrieParamedic/Winchman

Linda DykesConsultant in Emergency Medicine,Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor

Spinal Packaging whenyou can’t use a scoopIntroduction/Background

Clinical practice regarding packaging of trauma casualties isundergoing rapid change as traditional dogma is challenged.EMS organisations all over the world are abandoning spinalboards in favour of scoop stretchers, and cervical collars are

also falling rapidly out of favour.

Unfortunately, the logistical challenges of SAR practice maypreclude the use of techniques and equipment that have foundfavour in “domestic” paramedic practice .

For example, standard scoop stretchers were trialled butdeemed unsuitable for the SAR environment as themechanisms to join the two halves jammed when faced withice, sand or grit.

As of mid-2015, the remaining UK military SAR helicopterscontinue to use spinal boards, but only to provide rigidity tothe base of the Tyromont® stretcher, into which patients areplaced in a vacuum mattress. The Telford Extrication Device® and Stifneck ® collars are also carried on board.

We wished to ascertain whether SAR personnel were satisfiedwith the equipment currently available to them, and what theirpriorities were.

Method

A survey was emailed to all UK military SAR paramedics andtechnicians. Participants were asked to indicate their degree ofagreement with the statement “The current spinal/extricationboard is fit for purpose” using a 5-point scale (Strongly agree,Agree, Indifferent, Disagree and Strongly Disagree).Participants were then invited to add free-text comments.

Results

22 responses were received. 15/22 (68%) were happy with thecurrent equipment (Agree or Strong Agree). 3/22 (14%) werevery unhappy (Disagree or Strongly Disagree) and theremaining 4/22 indifferent.

75% of respondents made reference to equipment they wouldlike to see carried, notably that they missed the recentlydecommissioned “Neil Robertson” stretcher (a winchablewooden spinal board with integral canvas straps to secure thecasualty) and they would prefer to carry a scoop stretcherinstead of a spinal board to use in the base of the Tyromont® Stretcher, as the latter is compatible with current best practicefor other usages too.

Criteria for an ideal scoop device were identified as:1. Mechanism capable of functioning in austere conditions2. Able to be used on uneven terrain3. Be small enough to fit inside the Stokes Litter (winchingbasket outer stretcher)4. Suitable for use underneath a vacuum mattress as a liftingdevice

5. Have attachment points for head blocks and straps6. Be capable of single-handed use

Discussion

Most UK SAR medics are satisfied with the equipmentcurrently available to them to package patents with possiblespinal injury. However, there is a need for a scoop stretchersuitable for SAR use .

P h o t o s c o u r t e s y F i o n a M o o r e & O g w e n V a l l e y M o u n t a i n R e s c u e O r g a n i s a t i o n