Status on backboarding in your area?

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Really Bored EMT

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In my county we've almost completely eliminated it. We use vacuum mattresses and in a few difficult extrication a KED. Only a few extreme cases are ever truly back-boarded.

Personally, I'm glad to see it go even though its so drilled in I could do it in my sleep. It sucks watching patients suffer on the things for hours til they get films.

What is everyones take on this? and is your county phasing it out or at least thinking about it?
 
We are going away from them the next update. I hate backboarding patients needlessly. My old service area here in NM just got rid of backboards the first of April
 
Really Bored EMT said:
In my county we've almost completely eliminated it. We use vacuum mattresses and in a few difficult extrication a KED. Only a few extreme cases are ever truly back-boarded.

Personally, I'm glad to see it go even though its so drilled in I could do it in my sleep. It sucks watching patients suffer on the things for hours til they get films.

What is everyones take on this? and is your county phasing it out or at least thinking about it?
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LSB's have nearly left the scope of practice here in Central NM. They can serve as a device to move patients to the gurney, but then patient's are log-rolled off of them (unless the patient is critical). This very smart decision has been a long time coming, considering the harm LSB's cause our patients...Especially those who stay secured to them for more than an hour.
 
NJ still has very strict spinal immobilization guidelines. However, the 2 ALS agencies and our local hospitals vary in their philosophy on the matter.
 
teh Wilderness medicien guys a re spearheading the use of inflatable air mattresses that conform better to the pts. whether the AP powers who be will change too reamins ot be seen, the logrol is still in the protocols and on the practicals. :unsure:
 
We still use them but not as much as some places. We can rule out cspine in the field. Even if we do cspine, its usually undone in the ER pretty quick. They know we have our protocols to follow and if the doc says take it off then take it off it shall be.
 
Our system just eliminated them in january, there are 5 what are called NSAID criteria that can be met in order to still board someone, but for most calls now it's c collar at best. It's a good thing too as I work for a rural company and our transport times can get LONG, especially for a pt. on a backboard!
 
Oh cmon.. NSAID? Really? They need a new name. With all the acronyms we have, lets not reuse ones that already exist for other things.
 
I believe LSBs are on the way out in Austin and Wilco, and will be just doing c-collars. Still present and strict today though. In the ED if we decide to use spinal precautions we just slap on a c-collar and say, "Try to keep your neck and back still" until we get x-rays. Whenever EMS brings a Pt in that is boarded, an MD is always the one to take them off, but it is always done quickly and without much analysis. The c-collar stays on until images are done, but the board is removed without a lick of worry.

My deal with backboards is that they make patient transportation extremely simple, if getting to the stretcher is more than an up and over type of deal.
 
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We backboard or reeve sleeve most (maybe 75-80%) of our patients just for ease of transport mostly. We do a lot of extrication off of fishing vessels, or in industrial areas where it is the only sensible way to safely transport a patient.
 
NSAID is actually a pretty good one. It helps me remember.

N-Neuro deficit
S-Spinal pain/deformity
A-Altered post trauma
I-Intoxication (slurred speech, unsteady gait)
D-Distracting injury

Just if anyone didn't know it ;)
 
jboz7089 said:
We backboard or reeve sleeve most (maybe 75-80%) of our patients just for ease of transport mostly. We do a lot of extrication off of fishing vessels, or in industrial areas where it is the only sensible way to safely transport a patient.
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Are uou saying full cspine of 75%? Do you have other options like a breakaway or scoop stretcher?

Cspine is a bit excessive for a means of moving someone
 
NPO said:
Are uou saying full cspine of 75%? Do you have other options like a breakaway or scoop stretcher?

Cspine is a bit excessive for a means of moving someone
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Clarification: We do not C-spine all of the patients that we transport via reeve sleeve or backboard. We use the reeve sleeve the majority of the time because of it's ability to be hooked into a harness that is accessible by the boat's crane. When we can avoid it, we try to forgo hauling patients down a gangway, as they are very treacherous and unstable 99.9% of the time.

The department own's a scoop, but they aren't fond of us using it for whatever reason.
 
I'm not familiar with this reeve device. I'll have to look it up
 
If a basket wasnt available, seems like a reasonable piece of equipment for hoisting patients over open water.

Each of our supervisors trucks has a stokes basket. I think that would be my number one choice. But I don't see any reason I couldn't use that too
 
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