Anyone familiar with these backboard straps?

[AnthonyM83]

The state disaster unit we were assigned has immobilization equipment similar to what we use (head wedges with precut tape, adjustable adult and pediatric c-collars) except for the backboard straps.

It's one long strap (maybe 8 feet) with the male and female parts of a classic seatbelt buckle at each end. There are three straps for each backboard.

What's the best way to utilize these?

Two diagonal across chest forming an X and one across the hips?

Each one straight across at chest, hips, and legs? (This leave a LOT extra strap...and I worry about vertical movement when accelerating/braking).

Some sort of box method (we learned this in EMT class, but had straps that fit through more easily and haven't seen it since)?

The backboards provides have the pins at each handhold (presumably to separate strap hole from rest of hand hold area and to prevent sliding around of the strap...but male end doesn't even fit through and female end has to be worked through.

This is the closest pic the the strap (remember one continuous unit).

This is a pick of the backboard. Note the pins sectioning off the handholds for the straps.

In the end I'm sure we'll figure it out, but chances are someone out there has already spent the time to figure out the more efficient system....

Thanks for the help.

[HellsBells]

I'd say that someone ordered the wrong type of straps.

[Dustdevil]

I'd say that someone ordered the wrong type of straps.

Ditto. Those metal pins are for clipping clip-on straps to. They used to be in the middle of the hand holds until too many people complained about them interfering with getting a grip on the board. Now they have moved them to the sides. Someone done gone and ordered clip-on boards without clip-on straps.

I'd say you're just going to have to experiment in order to determine the best way to utilise that combination. Leaving straps connected makes storing the boards harder, as well as making manoeuvring the boards more difficult. Leaving them off costs you time assembling them on scene. Six one way, half a dozen the other to me. Personally, I don't like straps on my boards.

[CBEMT]

I'd say the X across the chest, and put the hip strap a little lower than you might normally- say more over the upper thighs than right on the illiac crest. That way you get the same benefit of the hip strap, but the legs won't be all over the place.

Or you can call whoever stocks the trailer and tell them they're a moron, and to send you the proper straps for the board they bought, and in the right quantity this time.

Or reassign one more strap to each board, and reduce the number of total boards.

Or something else.

Our state's MCI trailers come with three pre-equipped quick-clip straps each. You can tell at multi-agency drills which departments are dumbasses at backboarding- they never move the straps from where they were when the board was taken off the trailer, regardless of patient size or positioning. Just snap em and go.

Of course, the city that typically hosts the drills never use backboard straps anyway- so ironically, any actual MCI patients in their city requiring backboards are automatically going to be better packaged than they would have been if they'd been a single-patient incident.

[AnthonyM83]

Great. Go state of California.

Do any of you just strap from side to side, chest, hips, legs and tighten? Seems like they'd have to be on awfully tight to prevent vertical sliding during transport.

Dust, what do you prefer to secure them to the board? Binding? (cloth wraps)

[SANDMEDIC]

If I ever get around to getting my strapping and backboard system patented it will revolutionize the spinal stabilization system.

It takes about 30-45 seconds from start to finish.

Not looking to make a fortune but it will make things a lot easier for everyone.

No more velcro!!

It's called the "The RIB" Rapid Intervention Board"

Who knows what will come of it. There's a lot of trials coming for it.

[WolfmanHarris]

State government eh? Sounds like these straps should get conveniently lost. Replacement seems to be quicker alot of times than convincing someone in an office to send them back and get the right ones. Just toss the straps in an unlabeled box out of the way so they'll still be there when they're needed until the new one's come in.

[Dustdevil]

Dust, what do you prefer to secure them to the board? Binding? (cloth wraps)

I didn't mean I don't like straps. I just don't like them pre-attached to the board.

[firedoc5]

Man, those were state of the art when I started in the early 80's. Believe it or not, there was the same confusion and arguments then as now.

It depended on the patient and circumstance(s). If you need a board for a cardiac patient or had severe chest trauma, do not crass-cross around the chest. They get in the way. Put strait across, from shoulder to shoulder, and the other across the pelvic region. If it's a large breasted woman, you may have to crass-cross them between her breasts. The upper belt tended to slide up to the neck.

Think of every situation you can think of and play with them. Get a game plan together. And have an in-service for everyone.

We usually only used three belts. One across the chest (over or under the shoulders), one across the pelvic region, and one across the knees. But if need be for severe spinal injuries and needing complete immobility it was not unusual to use up to seven, placed where deemed. It could almost be like wrapping a mummy to a spine boards.

It took us forever to actually get head blocks. Good old fashion sandbags worked, at least for the standards back then.

Oh, and when rolling them back up, roll them with the larger buckle end inward. It's heavier so if you have to toss it (while holding onto the "male" end) it unwinds easier and larger so you don't tend to have trouble finding it if you are in brush or something.

Now that I think of it. I could really go on and on with what we had to use that now has manufactured gadgets that are taken for granted now days. Geez. I am old.

If anyone is interested, make a list of what you use every day that is manufactured specialty devices and I'll see what I (and others if they want to) remember of how and what we used. Like spine boards. We didn't have fiberglass one's. Some we actually made with a piece of plywood and a jig-saw.

[FormerEMSLT297]

I agree you needed the clip attach straps, but you can use the ones you have and quite effectively... Lets see if i can describe it...

after the patient is lying on the board, take the end with the female buckle, fold it about 12-18" from buckle so you make a loop in the end a foot of so from the buckle, take the loop end and slip it thru the board just under the armpit. then take the buckle end and slip it thru the loop, like a clove hitch..... take the remaining long end of the buckle and bring it across the patients chest to the other side.... then make another loop, and snug it tightly after the patient inhales, doing the same type of clove hitch... Now for the finishing touch, take the remaining male end of the buckle, have the patient place his hands down, and cross the remaining strap across the humerus and back to the other side of the board to meet the buckle, clip the buckle and tighten appropriately,,,, the do the same thing with the straps across the hips/pelvis and one across the knees, once you understand how to do it, and practice it a few times ,, one provider can do all 3 straps in about a minute or less....

I find since no 2 patients are the same, and they come in all shapes and sizes, this works a lot better than the preattached straps which I find never quite line up correctly and work find for pedestrians struck, but do not prevent lateral movement of the head, neck, spine if you need to log roll the patient or maneuver around in the high angle environment.

Ohh and even though i find 3 straps work best, you can try modifying it for 2 straps do chest and pelvis, and use a cravat or triangular bandage or 2-3" tape for the lower extremities......

Good luck,,,

Any questions ask..... Former