Buck Rodgers Dept #7 - splinting and C-collar

[tangent]

See the general disclaimer about "Buck Rodgers" posts for background.

take a small can of quick setting insulation foam or similar and some sort of balloon. A condom would probably be perfect. Place under neck, fill till form fitting, let set and tape in place to secure. Note that many solvents attack rubber - do a test first to make sure it won't break.

disadvantage - carrying a can of compressed "something" and non-reusable.

advantage - no movement of neck to apply.

related:

small styrafoam beads coated with a glue - maybe apply w/ 50cc syringe w/ hub clipped off.

warm water saturated with gelatin

etc.

related discussions under poleless liter and vaccume pump threads. Note some of re-usable storage bags for clothing and bedding that attach to a vaccume to compress. Add beads and a screen.

-t

[themadmedic]

If you are going to carry something, why not carry a SAM splint that serves a variety of purposes?

[tangent]

kind of defeats the whole purpose of the "buck rodgers" threads. see:

http://medtech.syrene.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=334

looking for:
1) better immobilization
2) less disturbance to c-spine to apply
3) improvised imobilization

Different things you can do w/ a SAM splint would make a good thread, though. There was a article on this in a recent JSOM. They are very versatile, but expensive...

Scheinberg, S., Sam Splints for Special Operations Medicine, JSOM, v2n1, Winter 02, p62-65 has lots of pictures, some uncommon uses and is not online here.

Of note, there is a thread on the board somewhere questioning the value of c-collars, particularly in remote situations and notes a lack of studies indicating any benifit from the practice. (other than CYA from ambulance chasers).

http://medtech.syrene.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=505