Traction splints - tips of the trade?

[fm_emt]

We're going to be tested on both the Sager & Hare traction splints in class. I got the chance to try out both of them last night, and I wanted to know if any of you had any tips or things to keep in mind.
One of the reasons I'm asking is because they both seem fairly straight forward to operate and my brain keeps saying "You're missing something.."

 

[emtff376]

Ahhh, traction splinting. We use the sager, hare, thomas and the KED brand of traction. Love them all for different reasons.

Big thing to remember is that sager can be used for bilateral femurs and the hare isn't designed for it. Disadvantage of the sager is you have to know the person's approximate weight to apply appropriate traction (although every protocol here says "mech. traction equal to manual traction")

Here's my mental check list for traction (for the hare)

bsi/ss/etc.
determine it is mid-shaft
check CMS distal to the injury
have someone take c-spine
have someone manually stabilize above and below the injury
apply ankle hitch
apply manual traction until pt feels relief
measure splint against good leg and adjust to fit
lift injured leg and slide splint under leg
apply ischial strap
apply mechanical traction
apply straps
check CMS distal
backboard them
check CMS again
transport

that sounds right to me... (I did one friday, but using a different splint).

 

[FFEMT1764]

and dont forget that it must be a midshaft femur fx to use the hare...if its a femur head fx the hare is useless...i go with the inverted ked trck for femur heads and hips.

 

[Ridryder911]

Tips for testing..

maintain traction at all times... be sure to place ankle hitch prior to traction..(other wise positioning hands can be tricky

be sure you have PLENTY of padding on the ischial bar...

thigh strap is secure

invert the straps so you can undo them more rapid and won't stick on carpet...


After you are through.. don't forget to check stability of splint as well as PMS...

God luck,
R/R 911

 

[TTLWHKR]

I have often used it to immobilize the tib/fib fractures, with out the use of traction.

 

[ffemt8978]

The Sager is good, especially for bilateral femur fx's. The Hare is good for long transport time. But nothing beats the KTD for field work. Simple to use, fast to apply, and traction does not have to be maintained while applying (although it does make the patient feel better).

 

[Stevo]

i'm ok with either

anyone here ever use the Thompson 1/2 ring?

oh and, just as an aside, watch what you jam up into a patients crotch, i know it's an uhmm minor point , but hey customer service is the whole game....

~S~

 

[MMiz]

One of my partners had the traction splint applied to her in EMT class. I'm sure you've all practiced on real people. Unfortunately they applied too much traction... they had to drive her to the hospital :unsure:

 

[TTLWHKR]

i'm ok with either

anyone here ever use the Thompson 1/2 ring?

oh and, just as an aside, watch what you jam up into a patients crotch, i know it's an uhmm minor point , but hey customer service is the whole game....

~S~

Thomas Half Ring.

Yes. My father has dozens of them, and probably every ambulance with in 50 miles of his house has a box of them too.

 

[SafetyPro2]

We use the Sager on our rigs, but I train on the Hare when I do ARC classes, so I'm good with both.

One tip that we were hammered on when I was in my EMT class was "Anchor, Anchor". In other words, make sure the two extreme ends are secured prior to securing the middle straps. Also, of course, make sure the middle straps are either side of the suspected fracture so that you're not putting one right across the wound.

 

[emtff376]

Stevo - I am most comfortable with the Thomas, since it was the first traction splint I learned. Next would be the Hare, then the sager.

We have one of the KTDs. That's what I used on Friday. It is definitely quick and easy to apply.

 

[FFEMT1764]

we have the hare and the sager...but if we get a true femur fx we have to keep in mind what will fit in the helicopter....we DO NOT ground transport femur fx unless the weather is too bad for flight- pts dont like 45 minute ground times with a broken femur bleeding into the thigh...that whole if you run out of fluid the pump stops thing...

 

[fm_emt]

Cool, thanks for the responses, guys. :-D

 

[FFEMT1764]

Glad to provide ya with the info!

 

[fm_emt]

Yup. we do our NR practical testing stuff tonight. I think I have both the Sager and the Hare down pretty good. I'll let y'all know what happens when I'm finished. heh.

 

[podmedic@mac.com]

Don't forget to make sure the partner holding traction is in a position they can hold for a while.:unsure:

A trick that was showed to me a few years back was to take traction with your arms extended and then lean back to let your body weight maintain the traction and not your arm and shoulder muscles. This takes a bit of practice but will save you if you get a big patient with a relatively heavy leg.

 

[Stevo]

Stevo - I am most comfortable with the Thomas, since it was the first traction splint I learned. Next would be the Hare, then the sager.

We have one of the KTDs. That's what I used on Friday. It is definitely quick and easy to apply.

we 'evolved' here to the Sager, emtff376, yet i've no clue as to a KTD

anyone wanna help this dinosaur out ?

~S~

 

[ffemt8978]

we 'evolved' here to the Sager, emtff376, yet i've no clue as to a KTD

anyone wanna help this dinosaur out ?

~S~

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The KTD can be applied by a single rescuer and folds down to fit into a 12”x6” pouch. The lower extremity traction system is made up of a folding snap-out aluminum pole, color-coded elastic leg straps, adjustable ankle hitch, and adjustable groin strap. This allows it to be sized to almost any patient, and doesn't require you to lift the leg to apply it. Very easy to use, and very compact storage (in a bag approx. 12" x 6").[/SIZE][/FONT]

 

[TTLWHKR]

Ktd

 

[Jon]

I spoke with an EP&R rep today.... costs less than $150!!!