MAST Pants....

[matt]

we never use em here unless there's a really long transport time and trauma hawk isn't flying otherwise it just takes to long to put em on

[Savoy6]

Interesting thing- The concept was developed by a Dr who wrapped India rubber around patients legs to perform back surgery sitting up. Then of course the military used G-suits for dive bombers to keep them concious, and they evolved during Viet Nam. Miami FD used them quite a bit in the 60' and early 70's. I used them quite a few times, back in the day. Had unconcious unresponsive trauma patients wake up and start talking. But then, they fell out of favor. I think more studies should have been done to support them than shoot them down. My " Any tool in the tool box" theory.

Hey if they don't work don't use them, if they cause further harm, don't use them. If they do work, use them.

I don't think anyone will resurect them for study. It's amazing how some "researchers" drive the entire realm of EMS. More research should be done at the local level to either support or remove a drug or tool.

I looked at crics in the early 90's. We had to change our PCR afterwards. Cric and Cervical collar were too close together on the form, and mismatced carbon copies skewed the results. Out of 63 report crics, only 22 were actually performed and 18 of those were nurses from one flight service. If further investigating had not been done, we'd have been led down the wrong path.

SOO, my point is, research is good if it's valid, accurate and the sampling numbers are sufficient to make it so. EMS Systems should be constantly reviewing procedures and evaluating the efficacy of all their procedures, not knee jerk and follow along like sheep. There is no template for all to follow.

[shorthairedpunk]

Thank god theyre off the busses here. They took up space for equipment we actually needed. All we could use them(or would use them) for was an unstable pelvic Fx, but a Pelvic Sheet wrap does a better job with less movement and they couldnt suddenly deflate cause they were 20 years old and put away wet too many times.

In the trash with the air splints (which were a good idea in theory, just not practical)

[mediccjh]

They're making a comeback..........

Dunno if anyone else has taken PHTLS in the past 6 months, but they are being recommended (again).

Never used them, but not afraid to. The biggest problem were the dingbats in the ER who would deflate them too soon.....

[Richard B the EMT]

The biggest problem were the dingbats in the ER who would deflate them too soon.....

The story told is, the first time they were used in NYC, as an ALS Only Paramedic protocol, the patient responded as they were supposed to, to the application and inflation. However, when the patient was brought into the Bellevue Hospital, not knowing what they were, a Resident in the ER said, "OK, let's check him out," and before the Paramedics could stop him, cut with scissors into the MAST. As the Mast was the original design, that of one compartment, and not the 3 of the contemporary ones, it instantly deflated, and the patient's BP crashed. Unknown if the patient survived.

A derisive joke then became known in EMS: If a FMG (foreign medical graduate) approached an inflated MAST with scissors in hand, that was the only time any EMS crews were allowed to tackle that doctor to the floor.

[Babigyrl102]

Although we are taught how to use them. They are not in the NYS protocol. In the city we would be at the hospital before we even got them out . It is rare for shock to become that severe b4 arriving @ the er because hospitals are about 5 minutes away in every direction in NYC. I could understand why they would allow it in other counties given the fact that hospitals are further

[sandpointemedtech]

In Idaho, Kootenai County (Kootenai County Emergency Medical Services System) they are still used and i know that they are still on EMS 82 out of Timberlake Fire Protection Districts Station #1. And that there are quite a few other bus's and fire apparatus that carry them

[craig]

we still have them here in NSW Australia

the service has amended the protocols so that they are not used for shocked patients but are still used for lower limb and pelvic fractures.

down here we wondered why they did this as they were a BLS device for shock in trauma patients. you have to understand that we have flying times of 45 minutes to an hour just for the hello to get to the scene (and longer in some cases) and it could be greater than an hour or two to get the patient to a trauma center rather than a local small country hospital

stay safe all :shock:

[csr]

I've never seen them except in textbooks or magazine articles.

[shookwell]

In NYC, the 911 busses don't carry them anymore, as they are not in the remsco protocols. There isn't anywhere in NYC that you're more than 20 minutes from a hospital anyway, so they were never used.