Re: Value of KED (was Re: Extrication practice???)

W4PHM wrote:

> The worst part of the KED IMO is that is needlessly
> delays extrication, manual immobilization is often just
> as good and the KEDs efficacy for immobilization is
> dubius at best, I have seen no studies to show that it
> does what its marketing says it does.
>  
But then, I have assume that you also haven't seen any studies to back 
up your opinion either.  Here are three that say the KED works:
Ann Emerg Med. 1989 Sep;18(9):943-6.
Ann Emerg Med. 1987 Oct;16(10):1127-31.
Prehosp Emerg Care. 1999 Jan-Mar;3(1):66-9. (Peds. immobilization)

Coincidentally I just reviewed KED with the class the day this thread 
started.  The students were able to apply the KED and move the patient 
within a matter of minutes.

Now, having said all of the above, neither the students in class nor the 
researchers in the above articles were applying the KED in the rain at a 
car crash, wearing protective gear, with hazardous conditions all 
around.  Furthermore, none of the students playing the role of patient 
could stand being in the KED for more than 10 minutes.  I reminded them 
of how they were going to torture their patients in the future if they 
did use the KED, and reminded them that it is perfectly acceptable to 
loosen the KED straps after securing their patient to the second torture 
device -- the unpadded long back board.

KED is only for non priority patients so it's not for when you are in a 
hurry anyway.
--
Mark

--
Mark Milliron, M.S., M.P.A.
EMT-Instructor
University Health Services
Penn State University
21 Ritenour Building
University Park PA 16802
http://www.psu.edu/dept/ems/