Life Support Products - Multi-liter

[dahlio]

So the county OEM department gave us these pretty looking multi-liters, but no instructions on how to hook it up. I've been looking around, and I'm pretty sure I've found what to get in order to attach this device to an oxygen tank.

Here are some pictures:

And this is what I think I need:

http://www1.mooremedical.com/index.cfm?PG=...il&PID=1822

Thanks in advance

[Dustdevil]

I've been looking around, and I'm pretty sure I've found what to get in order to attach this device to an oxygen tank.

It depends on the oxygen tank. It's pretty damn rare to find an oxygen tank with an Ohio Diamond (that round green wall connector device) connection on it. Are you talking about hooking up this thing to the wall outlet in your ambulance? Or, are you talking about hooking it up directly to a big H cylinder? Or are you talking about hooking it up directly to a small, portable oxygen cylinder, like a D or E? All of these would require something different.

[dahlio]

Sorry I didn't specify that earlier. It would be going off the ambulance wall port, since we have a two H cylinder setup. A direct O2 H Tank hookup would definitely be a good idea to invest in, so I guess both. I don't think these would last on a D or E, and have no plans on hooking them up to those small tanks.

Thanks again,

[Dustdevil]

Cool. Well, you have to determine what kind of scenarios you are anticipating. Think about it; if you are anticipating a dozen patients, are you really going to want to tie one of your few ambulances up by using it as an oxygen supply truck? Not really a smart idea, is it? Who is going to do the transporting?

These things are more appropriate for that once in a millennium MCI, where over half a dozen critical patients are stuck at one location for hours and hours, like maybe an ammonia or gas leak engulfing a neighbourhood. In that case, you would be much better off yanking one of your H-cylinders and leaving it on scene with the Multilator than immobilising your precious transport resources with an oxygen line tether. That would just be completely counterproductive.

If you are bound and determined to do that anyhow, then yes, you have found all you need to do that. But to hook the device directly to an H cylinder (a much better idea), you would need a Large Tank Pressure Reducer with at least one NPT connector.

Remember, you can feed oxygen to at least four patients in most ambulances (three wall mounted flowmeters, and one portable), so anytime you would need a Multilator, you're looking at a field hospital or triage station situation, not just a multi-victim MVA or fire. So, if you're going to set it up, you probably need to do it right and set it up with a dedicated supply.

[akroeze]

(three wall mounted flowmeters, and one portable)

Not once have I seen an ambulance with 3 flowmeters. Always one (Type II) or two (Type I/III)

[Dustdevil]

Not once have I seen an ambulance with 3 flowmeters. Always one (Type II) or two (Type I/III)

Really? Almost every ambulance I have worked in since the early 1980s has had two on the action wall, and one over the squad bench. At a very minimum, they had two on the action wall, and of course, a portable.

I'm surprised that, in rural Canada, where dual stretcher ambulances are so popular, you haven't seen multiple flowmeters.

[akroeze]

Maybe someone else from Ontario can correct me, but I don't think any of the models from Demers or Crestline have more than 2 flowmeters in them.

What benefit is there in having two of them on the "action wall" as you call it?

[Dustdevil]

What benefit is there in having two of them on the "action wall" as you call it?

Multiple patients. and redundancy in case of breakage, failure, or theft. Particularly helpful in rural systems where you may be the only unit for many, many miles. Running rehab at a wildfire, it's not uncommon to have three smoked out patients in your ambulance.

[akroeze]

Multiple patients. and redundancy in case of breakage, failure, or theft. Particularly helpful in rural systems where you may be the only unit for many, many miles. Running rehab at a wildfire, it's not uncommon to have three smoked out patients in your ambulance.

Ok, I was thinking there may have been a benefit when you had only one patient.

Those reasons make sense. I guess it's just one of those things that if you've never seen it you don't know that there is a better way?

But at the same time you could say where do you draw the line..... we should have an O2 flow meter for ever seat in the back except the one for the attendant because you could potentially transport that many.

[Scaramedic]

I've seen units with them on the action wall, bench wall, and in the roof.

Like Dust said run a Fire Rehab and you can never have enough. Not to mention smoke inhalation victims and toxic fumes.