Hands On February 2012

5.11 Tactical Taclite EMS Jumpsuit

Across the U.S. and around the world, a large portion of EMS service is provided by volunteers. One way to maintain a professional appearance when responding to a call from home or on the road is to cover your jeans and T-shirt with a jumpsuit. The Taclite EMS Jumpsuit from 5.11 Tactical incorporates the most popular features of their EMS pants and uniform shirts with a lightweight, rip-stop fabric that’s ideal for any climate. The fabric is treated with Teflon to help liquids roll off. A two-way front zipper, expandable waist and side seams make this jumpsuit easy to get on and off. It has adjustable belt loops, double-reinforced knees and cargo pockets with internal dividers. VITALS
Fabric: 6.1 oz. 65%
polyester/35% cotton
rip-stop with Teflon
Colors: Black, dark navy
Sizes: S–5XL
Price: $129.99
www.511tactical.com
866/451-1726

Beariatrics Inc. B.E.A.R. (bariatric equalizing abdominal restraint)

Bariatric patients provide many challenges for EMS. Aside from their weight and girth, another factor is the shift in the normal center of gravity when carrying and moving these patients that can make them feel unsecured and add unexpected weight stress to the rescuers moving them. A normal or slightly overweight adult has a center of gravity just behind the belt buckle. A morbidly obese/bariatric patient has a pendulous abdomen that shifts; it pulls their center of gravity forward, making it easier to tip an ambulance stretcher. The B.E.A.R. (bariatric equalizing abdominal restraint) from Beariatrics Inc. quickly attaches to an ambulance stretcher with eight 1 1/2" nylon straps and buckles (four on each side) or to a backboard with conveniently spaced Velcro straps. A strong nylon mesh band and three 2" straps allow you to package and contain the patient on the stretcher or backboard. The nylon mesh band increases the surface area of the straps as it wraps and stabilizes the abdominal mass. VITALS
Dimensions: 71" x 30"
Material: Nylon mesh
Price: $395
www.beariatrics.com
541/889-9009

FieldSaver New Android App

A recent focus of hospital patient care treatment continuity and safety improvements has been the patient handoff report. Poor patient outcomes (i.e., patients have died) may occur when the person taking over care of the patient in the field or ED misses an important part of the patient’s history or treatment in the handoff report. Some regions are moving to a short form, written patient handoff document to be left with the receiving facility to bridge the gap until the full, usually electronic, EMS chart is written. FieldSaver, a new Android app from fieldsaver.com, provides a means to quickly capture on your smartphone the demographic and patient history data required for a well-documented patient handoff. Services that subscribe to FieldSaver can have EMTs and paramedics quickly enter a “short report” containing patient demographics, allergies, medications, past medical history and treatments, which can be printed or transmitted to the receiving facility immediately after the verbal bedside handoff report. The data entered into the short report remains in the database so it doesn’t need to be re-entered when the provider completes the full electronic patient care report that contains all of the required National EMS Information System data points. VITALS
System: Android
Platform: Various
Call for pricing
www.fieldsaver.com
877/881-8144

eBroselow.com SafeDose EMS app

Treating acutely ill pediatric patients before the “Broselow Tape” often involved a call to medical command to confirm doses and delaying treatment. With the advent of the “Broselow Tape” in 1986, paramedics had a fast and accurate way of determining the proper dose in pediatric emergency treatment based on the patient’s length. It was a critical advancement because missing a decimal point could be the difference between 4.5 mg and 45 mg. Because most adult medications have standard doses, this problem rears its ugly head with the use of weight-based dosing when treating pediatric patients. The SafeDose EMS app from eBroselow.com lets you compare (in seconds) almost any order for pediatric oral and/or parenteral medications with the massive, pre-calculated Artemis database. This app is like having a pediatric pharmacist (and Dr. Broselow) looking over your shoulder and helping you ensure the dose you give to a child is accurate. VITALS
File Size: 1.62 MB
OS: iPhone, Android
Price: $6.99
www.ebroselow.com
540/250-3261

FastTrack Medical Solutions Combat Wound Seal from

Bigger & Better than Band-Aids Some large wounds can be difficult to manage in the field. Finding a way to apply an occlusive dressing to an abdominal wound or closing a large laceration can involve some rather creative bandaging techniques to contain hemorrhage and keep dirt and debris out. The Combat Wound Seal from FastTrack Medical Solutions was developed by combat physicians and paramedics with military backgrounds and extensive trauma experience. It uses the same adhesive as the FastBreathe Thoracic Seal (see January’s “Hands On” column on jems.com/journal), which aggressively bonds to the skin without damaging the surface on removal. I think of the Combat Wound Seal as an extra-large, rectangular butterfly bandage. VITALS
Dimensions: 6" x 6"
Color: White
Price: $9.50
www.fasttrackmedicalsolutions.com
866/403-5276

Minox NV 351 and NVD Mini

We often try to change night scenes into day with illumination. However, sometimes that isn’t possible or practical. And searching for a missing person or victim at a scene before the rescue truck arrives could be lifesaving. Until recently, night-vision devices were expensive and usually the domain of the military, SWAT teams and other high-end users. The NV 351 and NVD Mini from Minox provide an economical choice in night-vision devices. The NV 351 allows noise-free and discreet observations with a compact, handheld device. The shock- and impact-resistant NVD Mini uses an innovative infrared digital technology to amplify residual light frequencies. Its infrared sensor reproduces the image on the monitor in the viewfinder. And, contrary to conventional tube night-vision devices, the NVD Mini isn’t sensitive to bright light sources, so it can be used in daylight as well. This product’s lightweight, weatherproof design performs in a wide range of conditions and temperatures. The eyepiece is designed to give eyeglass wearers a full field of view, and there’s a tripod socket for extended viewing. This looks like a great device to be carried in EMS supervisor vehicles and rescue trucks. VITALS
NV 351 Weight: 12 oz.
Dimensions: 6 3/4" x 3 1/8" x 2"
Power: CR123 Battery
Price: $399
NVD Mini Weight: 8 oz.
Dimensions: 5.75" x 2" diameter
Price: $299
www.minox.com
866/469-3080

REDpoint International Medical Innovations StedLine IV Sleeve

With diaphoretic or combative patients, burned skin, long transports and cramped working areas, securing an IV line in the field can be a real challenge. And one of Murphy’s Laws of EMS is, “the harder the IV is to start, the easier it is dislodged.” Paramedics have a variety of ways to keep the IV in place. Whether it’s a sticky commercial product or the use of bandaging material to wrap the area, they’ll use anything short of staples to secure the line. But the new StedLine IV Sleeve from REDpoint International Medical Innovations is an easy-to-use wrap that secures the IV line without adhering to the patient’s skin. After starting the IV and securing the insertion site, you simply loop the special StedLine IV Sleeve feature over the patient’s thumb and wrap the rest of it around their arm, over top of the IV line. You then wrap the IV line one full turn around each of two attached plastic discs and secure the Velcro closures. The IV line won’t put any tension on the insertion site—even if a 1 L bag of fluid drops from the ambulance ceiling to the floor. VITALS
Weight: 1 oz.
Price: $5.95 each
www.redpointcorp.com
350/573-5957

Weight: 1 oz.
Price: $5.95 each
www.redpointcorp.com
350/573-5957