Docdor

Has anyone seen or heard of a board with built in pads?...I believe it's called the Innova board, or something like that. I'd like to hear from anyone who has one or has seen one in use.

Inflatable?

How does that keep them from moving?

All I can picture is one of those flat rafts for a swimming pool.

As a matter of fact, this device is named Back Raft (Boundtree) and it is very much like a blow-up pool mattress. The idea is to pad the board but you are correct that it does not help much with limiting motion, single use, costly and it just adds to the complexity of pt. packaging...a swing and a miss. Again, try the vacuum splint method I described above.

Well said, medik8. I think even if they're dazed a bit they can understand that you're only trying to protect them. I may borrow that line!

Does anyone have any "best practice" out there for padding under the patient or handling a cold board? The surface of the board is a bit slippery for a blanket. On a cold night it's like putting someone on a block of ice. We picked up an elderly lady from a nursing home, ground level fall but she said her back hurt so we immobilized her. I felt terrible for her, she looked so uncomfortable. Any suggestions?

The absolute "best" technique currently available is to use one of the new semi-disposable vacuum splints (Fasplint by Hartwell uses the most supple material) as a combination spineboard pad / head immobilizer. The large (leg splint) is the best for an adult; the splint is tapered and long enough to reach from the head to the hips. Hold the splint, wide end at the top, draped on the board as you log roll the pt. on. The beads in the splint fill in the voids between the patient and board conforming perfectly to the pts body contours. Form your head immobilizer with the wide end at the top, apply vacuum with a pump or suction unit to lock beads in place, tape across the eyebrows to secure, and strap down. This system has many benefits:

1. Faster than head blocks and padding

2. Unitizes the entire spine rather than placing the head in a vice with the body sliding around the board.

3. Spinal "bouncing" eliminated during transport as contoured fit fully supports spine.

3. Patient on board can be tipped sideways to clear an airway with virtually no spinal movement.

4. Patient comfort vastly improved as weight is evenly distributed...can be on spineboard for long periods safely.

5. These splints are inexpensive and can be reused making them cheaper than disposable head blocks.

A variation for getting the pt. onto the pad is to vacuum the splint out so that it is flat and rigid, slide the pt onto the thus padded board, let the air back into the splint allowing the beads to flow, then shape, vacuum and secure as above. This works well for auto extrications and other similar situations; just be sure to brush any glass etc. away before dragging the pt. across the splint.

Hope this helps.