Car bouncing on road like a pinball

[bstone]

While driving in rural Connecticut this afternoon I saw the immediate aftermath of a sports car having bounced around the highway like a pinball. Know that EMS and FD response times in this area are lengthy I decided to see if I could stop and hold C-spine or control severe bleeding until their arrival. A police car from a far-off city pulled over and radioed in for assistance just as I calmly walked from my vehicle to the scene. The police officer handed me a pair of gloves from his first aid kit and I climbed in behind the restrained driver and held C-spine. Local FD arrived ~15 minutes later and asked me to keep holding C-spine as they cut apart the car with the Jaws of Life. I was talking to the PT the entire time, a young man who always thought of himself as immortal. I told him that if you don't wreck a car once in your life then you have too much luck. He laughed and smiled at that. The FD covered him and I with a blanket as they spend about 20 minutes cutting apart the vehicle. An ALS ambulance showed up and the paramedic said, "Let's use the KED." This is the first time I have ever seen the KED in use. I briefly mentioned this to him and he said, "Yeah, me too." The KED straps were so stiff and difficult to use that it took the medic and AEMT another 10 minutes to secure him in to it. Fire then cut off the door and moved the patient to the longboard. I exited the vehicle and stood off to the side. Highway patrol thanked me for helping as did the FD supervisor. They said, "Holding C-spine was the best thing you could have done. Thank you."

[Sasha]

Good job.

[Achilles]

Great work!

Where in CT is it Rural? Beacon Falls?

[bstone]

Originally Posted by Achilles

You stole my statement!

Great work!

Where in CT is it Rural? Beacon Falls?

I was at a junkyard near Roxbury getting parts for my car. Thanks for the accolades.

[EMSDude54343]

Good Job!!

I actually did my senior project in High School on the KED (nerd I know) . Glad to hear it's still used, should be used more often in my opinion, especially around where I work.

[Notown]

Originally Posted by EMSDude54343

Good Job!!

I actually did my senior project in High School on the KED (nerd I know) . Glad to hear it's still used, should be used more often in my opinion, especially around where I work.

The EMS people ive dealt with around here dont really seam all that fond of the KED device. What kind of benefits do you see where you are vs something like a short board? Just wondering

[bigbaldguy]

Nice work I hope the FF's took measures to protect you as well as the patient.

The KED is a pain in the to use in a confined area and of course that's exactly the place you have to use it. There's nothing really fast about it but when you get it on right and cinch it down correctly its awesome. I think many providers jump through hoops to avoid using it specifically because unless you use it a lot you feel like a rookie every time you put one on. I've found that a key component to using it efficiently is putting the straps away properly. Rather than just bunching them up, leaving them loose and stuffing them in the bag or rolling them try folding them back and forth like an accordion so that when you pull them they just come right out. It will look like this /\/\/\/\/\/\/\ as you pull the strap out. Makes a huge difference when you try to deploy it in tight quarters. It's a good idea to re pack the straps before each shift because for some reason no one ever puts them back correctly.

[Tigger]

Originally Posted by bigbaldguy

Nice work I hope the FF's took measures to protect you as well as the patient.

The KED is a pain in the to use in a confined area and of course that's exactly the place you have to use it. There's nothing really fast about it but when you get it on right and cinch it down correctly its awesome. I think many providers jump through hoops to avoid using it specifically because unless you use it a lot you feel like a rookie every time you put one on. I've found that a key component to using it efficiently is putting the straps away properly. Rather than just bunching them up, leaving them loose and stuffing them in the bag or rolling them try folding them back and forth like an accordion so that when you pull them they just come right out. It will look like this /\/\/\/\/\/\/\ as you pull the strap out. Makes a huge difference when you try to deploy it in tight quarters. It's a good idea to re pack the straps before each shift because for some reason no one ever puts them back correctly.

Agreed, those straps are probably why everyone says they hate the KED. The manufacturer did put those little velcro keepers there for a reason, use 'em!

[Notown]

The biggest issue I've seen both in class and in the field is placement of the KED device. A lot of people seem to have trouble navigating the device into position while also maintaining proper C spine. A couple of my class mates failed the practical due to excessive spinal manipulation.

[bigbaldguy]

Originally Posted by Notown

The biggest issue I've seen both in class and in the field is placement of the KED device. A lot of people seem to have trouble navigating the device into position while also maintaining proper C spine. A couple of my class mates failed the practical due to excessive spinal manipulation.

An excellent point. Sliding the KED down between the seat back and patient is a pita. Again a big part of this is just not going too fast. It's going to take as long as its going to take. Generally if you are using the KED you're not in a scoop and run situation or at least you shouldn't be. For super critical patients I think a rapid extraction using a spine board is the better option. We don't carry the half boards but I hear those can be useful as well.