DZ first aid kits and IV's

[grimmie 177]

The only person an AED is probably going to help at the DZ is a whuffo that goes down watching a hook turn.
Good idea to have one though.

[skydiver30960 0]

In a sense, you're right, an AED would not be useful at all for our typical "buddy who femurs in" or a worse such skydiving related injury.

But with regards to our tandem and student operations, think about what we do: we take people of all ages, body types, and a variety of medical conditions on what is quite possibly the most exciting experience of their life. A first skydive is going to push heart rates and blood pressures to unusually high levels for most of our students. We ask these same students to fill out a waiver and tell us about all their medical conditions, but how often are we lied to? How often do we KNOW about the patient with a past heart history or hypertension, yet still choose to jump with them because we or they are sure "they'll be alright?"

Also consider that skydivers are human beings too, and that heart disease is the leading killer of women and one of the leading killers of men. So, if a heart attack is going to happen, and we spend 2/7 of our week at the DZ, then statistically speaking it's only a matter of time before one of us has a coronary at the DZ.

I'm really surprised we aren't seeing more "chest pain" and "cardiac event" EMS responses to DZ's. That scares me even more, from the "it's only a matter of time" point of view. It just means time is running out.

Elvisio "30 to 2" Rodriguez

[fasted3 0]

Skydiving keeps you young. Every minute in freefall adds an hour to your life.

But what do I know?

[Broke 0]

I see where you are with that... There is an AED now that runs off of D sized batteries, granted it takes a lot of them, but they cost a shitlot less than Propriatory batteries. I believe that AED is made by Zoll. Personally I like the Phillips Brand AEDs.

When you buy an AED make sure it is from a reputiable company. A little while ago there was a company named Access Cardiosystems. They issued a statement to all their customers that their AEDs weren't working properly, and then the company closed screwing everyonre.

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[billvon 2,433]

> There is an AED now that runs off of D sized batteries . . .

Yikes. Spring loaded contacts are incredibly unreliable in such an application.

[dragon2 0]

We have one AED on the airport, you don't have to buy one JUST for the DZ maybe you can get others to chip in.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[grimmie 177]

I have a coronary each week at the DZ when I buy jump tickets! Good point!

[UDSkyJunkie 0]

Quote

As a former EMT and Safety and Training Adviser I agree with your concern. An IV should only be started with an order from a physician, by a person who is trained to do so, and performing under a QI program. If a drop zone has a physician who frequents the DZ then it might be reasonable to have the equipment he needs available, but I'd rather see him/her take charge of that and not leave IV's and other medical equipment around.

Agreed, but why not also a paramedic? The medic would be properly trained and wouldn't need an order. I imagine they're also easier to come by than physicians. And as you have pointed out, many (perhaps a large majority of) physicians would have no buisiness giving orders in an unfolding trauma setting, whereas a medic would.

For that matter, depending on local protocols, an EMT-B or EMT-I might be able to start one... or, if they aren't able to start an IV without an order, they may be able to contact medical control to get an order.

Clearly nobody who is not either a qualified EMT, a physician, or a nurse/ect working under a physician's order should EVER start an IV.

"Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission."

[tombuch 0]

Quote

Agreed, but why not also a paramedic? The medic would be properly trained and wouldn't need an order.

A paramedic should be able to start an IV, but in my state(s) he would need a standing order, that is he would need to be under the direction of a physician who has issued a general order that when a patient is in 'this' condition a paramedic can start an IV.

With a standing order the physician doesn't need to be there and the paramedic doesn't even need to get specific permission because there is an agreement that if certain conditions are met, then the medical care provider can take specific actions. But that standing order requires that the paramedic (or EMT) be part of the local response system, that he be approved under a set of response protocols, and that he be part of an ongoing quality improvement program.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[fred 0]

Perhaps it would be more beneficial to have some instruction on what we should or should not do if somebody has a bad (or terrible) landing.

I'm not a medical professional, but it seems like instructions of "Don't remove gear, don't let them move, wait for the paramedics" is good advice.

I went through basic CPR training, but we never really talked about what to do if there might be a spinal injury.