List Archives

02 Feb 2002 10:31:55 EST

---Phil Hoffman wrote:
  Do any of the in-hospital people on this list have any
(probably anecdotal) views on the vacuum type full body splints?
--- end of quote ---

I have one personal experience with these, I asked to be immoblized =
on one when TNCC teaching in Sweden a few years back.  I was amazed =
at how well it truly immobilized your entire body.  I was equally =
impressed with how uncomfortable it was after a while.  When the =
air is removed to make it conform to body contours, it gets hard as =
a rock.  Also, because it is totally impermeable, you quickly begin =
to sweat.  And, the vacumm mattress was placed on a backboard as =
well.  As I recall, the Swedish nurses told us that they usually =
removed or loosed the vacuum mattress soon after the patient =
arrived which left them.....on the backboard.  Maybe our =
international colleagues who use these regularly can provide some =
additional feedback?

Jean Proehl
Emergency Clinical Nurse Specialist
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, NH 03756
603-650-6049

List Archives

For your convenience, find the Trauma List Archive Below

Spinal Immobilization question