title: Comparison of a vacuum splint device to a rigid backboard for spinal immobilization.
abstract: In this study, comparison of a vacuum splint device to a rigid backboard was made with respect to comfort, speed of application, and degree of immobilization. The study was a prospective, nonblinded comparative study conducted at a statewide emergency medical services (EMS) training facility and included a convenience sample of emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic students. The vacuum splint was judged to be significantly more comfortable on a 10-point scale than the rigid backboard after subjects had been lying on each device for 30 minutes (P < .001). It was also faster to apply: 131.6 +/- 24.3 seconds versus 154.6 +/- 22.2 seconds (P < .001). Various measures of immobilization were similar for the two devices. The vacuum splint provided better Immobilization of the torso and less slippage on a gradual lateral tilt. The rigid backboard with head blocks was slightly better at immobilizing the head. Vacuum splints offer a significant improvement in comfort over a traditional backboard for the patient with possible spinal injury. They can be applied in reasonable time frames and provide a similar degree of immobilization when compared to a standard rigid backboard.
authors.affiliation: New Mexico EMS Academy, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque 87106, USA.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hauswald
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stockhoff
mesh_terms: D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007103:Immobilization; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013124:Spinal Injuries; D013165:Splints; D014618:Vacuum