Pediatric Restraints

How do you restrain small or young pediatric patients?

  • Commercial Device.

    Votes: 24 88.9%

  • Straps on the stretcher.

    Votes: 4 14.8%

  • On the mother's lap.

    Votes: 3 11.1%

  • Usually don't restrain as it upsets the child.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    27
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VentMedic

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After a good discussion from the seatbelt thread I thought the ways of restraining pediatrics in your truck would be an interesting topic.


Previous seatbelt thread with poll results:
http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=13100
 
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What I usually do is a car seat/booster seat of some kind strapped to a stretcher that is full up to 90*. Usually works great, especially with infants with the car seat
 
I put both "mother's lap" and "commercial device." My old company had the contract for the local children's hospital, so if one of the non-dedicated units went to go pick up a pediatric, then we would return to headquarters and pick up a commercial car seat/booster seat (The times I used it as a booster seat I reconfigured the seatbelts to have a proper set up).

I imagine that in an emergency situation, that it would be on the mother's lap.
 
We have child seats in our rigs that we use if the parents don't have one but I've never heard of a parent not offering theirs though.
 
We have a commercialized device. Holding an infant is hypocrisy as we always tell others it's not safe as it is not.

R/r 911
 
Kid always goes in an age/weight appropriate car seat attached to the stretcher. If there is no car seat available, we have a 5 point harness type car seat built into the airway seat that we can always use for kids big enough to sit up on their own.
 
Inflatable car seat. Mom sits on bench seat with seat belt. Everyone, including me while in back, wears a seatbelt in my rig.
 
We're required to carry a car seat as part of licensure, so naturally a carseat is the preferred method. If the kid is already secured in a car seat, then we leave them in it and secure it to the captain's chair.
 
How do I restrain a kid? Usually don't have to. I just stick their head in the oven at their house with the gas on first. They go right to sleep.

Oh, you mean seat belts? Yeah, I use the child harness that's built into the jump seat or the harness adapter to strap them to the cot. But don't discount the oven trick. I also prescribe it's usage for unruly adults as well.
 
We carry a soft child seat that is a rather interesting device. It has straps on it that strap to the gurney, and then shoulder and crotch straps for the child. It's not hard car seat like what you would find in a personal vehicle. The child is sitting on the gurney, but they are restrained with a 4 point child harness.

Alternatively, if the child is already in an appropriate car seat, we leave them there and strap that to the gurney.
 
Aidey said:
We carry a soft child seat that is a rather interesting device. It has straps on it that strap to the gurney, and then shoulder and crotch straps for the child. It's not hard car seat like what you would find in a personal vehicle. The child is sitting on the gurney, but they are restrained with a 4 point child harness.

Alternatively, if the child is already in an appropriate car seat, we leave them there and strap that to the gurney.
Click to expand...

we use this type of device, its called a pedimate....and its awesome. when not being used it can be rolled up for easy storage instead of using a car seat
 
What is everyones opinion of liability regarding improperly using a child seat?

Ex: infant passenger < 20 lbs. Secured to seat, secured to stretcher. Whoops! Carseat is facing forwards (towards drivers compartment).

BEST RESOURCE EVER for carseats:

http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm
 
VentMedic said:
After a good discussion from the seatbelt thread I thought the ways of restraining pediatrics in your truck would be an interesting topic.


Previous seatbelt thread with poll results:
http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=13100
Click to expand...

Well, I chose the "commercial device" option, even though it wasn't entirely accurate. The answer I wanted wasn't listed as an option. Mine would have been that it "depends on the situation".

My rules and methods of restraining a pediatric pt are very fluid.
 
Ridryder911 said:
We have a commercialized device. Holding an infant is hypocrisy as we always tell others it's not safe as it is not.

R/r 911
Click to expand...
AMEN.

I HATE the attitude that we don't need to restrain our patients.
 
If the child isnt in need of treatment he goes in a car seat, if that child needs treatment that a car seat would hamper he goes on the stretcher.

So my answer would be car seat unless otherwise contraindicated Such as injury, seizure and the like.
 
We actually use a tape that is a little better than duct tape for some procedures to restrain a child. It is frowned upon but sometimes conscious sedation is not always an option even for some of the very painful things done to them.

For transport in whatever vehicle, we will find a way to secure the child and any equipment that goes along. There will definitely be no sitting on a parents lap in a moving vehicle of any type.
 
I try to use child's own car seat if it is available. we also have the inflatable car seat and our jump seat has a car seat built in.

It I get an MVA with a kid in a car seat, I will keep them restrained in the car seat. Much more secure.
 
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