Suspension injuries

[jmp6753]

Has anyone dealt with suspension injuries? We have a lot of the 200+ foot high wind turbines being built in my response area. Apparently if someone has been hanging in a harness for a while there are issues of the blood pooled in the legs being recirculated back into the body or so I am being told. Have people run on patients associated with the turbines and what types of protocols are you using?

Thanks!!

[Freaknuggetz_chick]

Hey there!

last summer at the annual trauma symposium in Edmonton, Alberta, this was one of the topics, simply because there is so little information out there. I regret that i cannot recall the presenter's name at this time, but he stated he got alot of information from this site:

http://www.suspensiontrauma.info/

basic overview: as you suspended, gravity holds blood lower in the body. since you are harnessed, you are unable to effectively move your legs to maintain adequate blood return. since you do not have adequate blood return, you torso and head are effectively hypotensive (these effects are far more profound in the unconscious patient). as blood pools, it stagnates, acidifies. when a patient is rescued, the LAST THING YOU EVER WANT TO DO IS LAY THEM FLAT!! even if you have to spinal your patient, ensure their legs are lower than the rest of the body (elevate the head, etc.; if no spinal precautions required, semi-fowlers, high fowlers, legs dangling over side of stretcher etc). if you lay the patient flat, the stagnant, acidotic blood re-enters regular circulation (this is known as re-flow syndrome, similar to effects of releasing a crushed/entrapped limb/body). this blood is essentially toxic.

Hope this helps! also, google google google!!!

[DwayneEMTP]

Hey Jump! Welcome to the City.

Interesting topic, as I've never heard of if.

At first blush Freak's explanation makes sense...I'll have to look into it as well.

I look forward to the discussion!

Dwayne

[firedoc5]

I have heard some of the results of suspension injuries but don't know all that much. Around here most of the high suspension areas are just the high power electric lines. The crews themselves are trained for rescue and retrieval of injured patients. A gal I use to date married a lineman and I was surprised by how much training they do just for that.

[Just Plain Ruff]

If anyone has Pubmed access here is a article that addresses this very thing.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1738437...tractPlusDrugs1

If you have a paid subscription you can get this article. Any of the docs out there have one? how bout you AK or asys?

[jmp6753]

How common are calls related to wind turbines?

[p3medic]

I would think you might get more info regarding suspension injuries by researching tree stand falls with harness, or parachute injuries...falling off wind turbines is probably a very rare event.

[tniuqs]

How common are calls related to wind turbines?

Dont get hung up on one type of situation, in industry, shipyards, oilpatch (climbing the stick) painters, window washers, paragliders, arbourists (sp) .... and the list is long.

Look under Reflow Syndrome, I have a power point prodution I believe I found it with a google search but have lost the link.... happy un climbing.

cheers

[coolparamedic]

How common are calls related to wind turbines?

I think what jmp was trying to get at was, Do any of you go on calls to the wind farms, and if so, what kind of calls do you get. Is it the typical 2 pack a day smoker who just got done climbing the tower and now has chest pain? Or is it heat exhaustion, dehydration, traumas?

We have had about 400 wind turbines go up in our response area in the last year. The construction companies have tried to practice/prepare for these kinds of things with us but I feel it has been somewhat lacking considering we had a turbine collapse about 30 miles south of us last year with several maintenance people in it.

i found a video on youtube of a wind turbine collapse if any of you are interested.