An old "face mask"

[kristo]

I came across a strange device in the headquarters of my SAR unit yesterday. It was a tube, one end was similar to an OPA. From that end, there was a "trunk", out of which one long tube came, and another, much shorter one. According to a diagram on the package, one was to put the "OPA part" in the patients mouth, put ones thumb on the short trunk, blocking it, and blow into the long tube. Needless to say, this thing was just on display with old first aid stuff, not in active use.

I might go there again soon with a digital camera and post a photo, but have any of you seen this device before?

[Dustdevil]

I can't even really visualise what you are talking about.

I'd sure like to see a picture of it.

[Ridryder 911]

It's called an "S" tube, like a double ended OPA. They were used before pocket mask were invented. I used to carry one in my personal kit, decades ago; when I was a whacker...

R/r 911

[kristo]

I'll post a picture this evening. The package even has a diagram on how to use it...

Rid, if you carried that thing around, I bow to your (former) advanced whackerness - it's not exactly "pocket-sized"...

[Dustdevil]

LOL@S-tubes! Now there's a flashback!

You could make them out of two Laerdal OPAs, with the little adapter phlange in between the two. I still have a couple of those phlanges somewhere. But yeah, you could buy the one-piece OPA that was a monstrosity and really about useless.

This doesn't sound like an S-tube though. Seems like he's describing one too many tubes to be an S-tube.

[kristo]

I also think what you're describing is too small. This thing seems to be designed to be used by a standing rescuer on a supine patient.

[Chief1C]

It doesn't sound like an "S" tube. I've seen those, we even have a set of them on the ambulance. I'd like to see a photo, b/c over the past 60 years there have been so many different devices made to try and improve prehospital care (especially before EMS), it's almost impossible to guess.

[Ridryder 911]

That large... wow! Now, I am curious...

R/r 911

[kristo]

OK, not quite as large as I remembered. :-) From the diagram, it seems that the rescuer should be kneeling.

Here's a picture of it in the package:

Me holding it (for scale):

The instructions on the package:

The package, along with an old first-aid kit:

[Ridryder 911]

Never seen anything exactly like that, but it appears to have an S-tube with an extension tube? I guess they thought the vomit would exit through the shortest route? I have seen something similar with a BVM style face mask and corrugated vent type tubing to a mouth piece attached to do the same purpose. It did have a "filter" that would prevent emesis from going up the tube....

R/r 911