On hand medic equipment

[manfredvonrichthofen]

What kind of medic equipment do you keep on person during ground search operations?
Only small personal kits?
Medium or large kit that will take care of more than just yourself?\

I am looking for a good kit for more than just myself, I want a couple of SAM splints, a head and neck immobilizer "C spine reminder", and things of the sort. Main thing is, pack to put it in. My old medic bag from the Army isn't quite big enough for the immobilizer and everything else that I may need to have in it.

Fixed it for you,

I wouldn't have a C collar as part of my personal equipment, maybe along with the backboard in the van instead.

As for what I carry.  Just an assortment of Gauze (Ace bandages, 4x4s, rolls), tape, scissors, cold compress, and most importantly gloves.  Fits all in pretty nicely, is inexpensive, lightweight, and is suitable for what we do.   

No, not a C collar, a head and neck immobilizer, like this,
http://www.lifemedicalsupplier.com/head-immobilizer-prolite-ref-909716hi-p-342.html
this is not a C collar, it is a head and neck immobilizer.

Heck, I don't even have one of those on my ambulance. Do you know how to use it?

Do you have a hand litter, or just a gurney on your ambulance? You don't need one on a gurney, just on hand/stokes litters. They are pretty simple to use.

The reason you don't just leave it attached to the litter is because it needs to fit snugly to the shoulders to stabilize the whole head and neck area. That is why you don't need a C-collar with a head and neck immobilizer.

[JayT]

What kind of medic equipment do you keep on person during ground search operations?
Only small personal kits?
Medium or large kit that will take care of more than just yourself?\

I am looking for a good kit for more than just myself, I want a couple of SAM splints, a head and neck immobilizer "C spine reminder", and things of the sort. Main thing is, pack to put it in. My old medic bag from the Army isn't quite big enough for the immobilizer and everything else that I may need to have in it.

Fixed it for you,

I wouldn't have a C collar as part of my personal equipment, maybe along with the backboard in the van instead.

As for what I carry.  Just an assortment of Gauze (Ace bandages, 4x4s, rolls), tape, scissors, cold compress, and most importantly gloves.  Fits all in pretty nicely, is inexpensive, lightweight, and is suitable for what we do.   

No, not a C collar, a head and neck immobilizer, like this,
http://www.lifemedicalsupplier.com/head-immobilizer-prolite-ref-909716hi-p-342.html
this is not a C collar, it is a head and neck immobilizer.

Heck, I don't even have one of those on my ambulance. Do you know how to use it?

Do you have a hand litter, or just a gurney on your ambulance? You don't need one on a gurney, just on hand/stokes litters. They are pretty simple to use.

The reason you don't just leave it attached to the litter is because it needs to fit snugly to the shoulders to stabilize the whole head and neck area. That is why you don't need a C-collar with a head and neck immobilizer.

False. That little gadget is designed to fit onto a long board. IE, this



To secure a patients head, which has already been immbolized by a manual stablization and a cervical spine collar.



So, the end result should look like



No trauma patient should ever be secured to a Stokes Basket without being first secured to a spinal board with appropriate Cervical Spine Precautions.

[Spaceman3750]

What kind of medic equipment do you keep on person during ground search operations?
Only small personal kits?
Medium or large kit that will take care of more than just yourself?\

I am looking for a good kit for more than just myself, I want a couple of SAM splints, a head and neck immobilizer "C spine reminder", and things of the sort. Main thing is, pack to put it in. My old medic bag from the Army isn't quite big enough for the immobilizer and everything else that I may need to have in it.

Fixed it for you,

I wouldn't have a C collar as part of my personal equipment, maybe along with the backboard in the van instead.

As for what I carry.  Just an assortment of Gauze (Ace bandages, 4x4s, rolls), tape, scissors, cold compress, and most importantly gloves.  Fits all in pretty nicely, is inexpensive, lightweight, and is suitable for what we do.   

No, not a C collar, a head and neck immobilizer, like this,
http://www.lifemedicalsupplier.com/head-immobilizer-prolite-ref-909716hi-p-342.html
this is not a C collar, it is a head and neck immobilizer.

Heck, I don't even have one of those on my ambulance. Do you know how to use it?

Do you have a hand litter, or just a gurney on your ambulance? You don't need one on a gurney, just on hand/stokes litters. They are pretty simple to use.

The reason you don't just leave it attached to the litter is because it needs to fit snugly to the shoulders to stabilize the whole head and neck area. That is why you don't need a C-collar with a head and neck immobilizer.

False. That little gadget is designed to fit onto a long board. IE, this

Snip

To secure a patients head, which has already been immbolized by a manual stablization and a cervical spine collar.

Snip

So, the end result should look like

Snip

No trauma patient should ever be secured to a Stokes Basket without being first secured to a spinal board with appropriate Cervical Spine Precautions.

And since you have to be a licensed EMT to apply a C-collar...

In general our ground teams should not be moving trauma patients at all (save for a real emergency like a fire) because we are not usually properly trained or equipped. Yes, I know there is sometimes the exception where "a guy in our squadron who is GT rated is an EMT and has a spine board" but save for that exceptions I will let the EMTs come to me and take care of it.

Moving someone with possible spinal injury unless you are properly trained and equipped represents a legal issue, and legal issues are bad.