13 replies to this topic

[redlegalpha]

Hi all,

 

I carry a SOFTT-W in my cars and on my person. I've also put them into trauma kits for the church I pastor. I've never used a SOFTT-W on a child before, and it looks like it might be very difficult to get it to work. Are there any recommendations for child tourniquets out there? I can find a few when searching online, but would prefer to get insight from those with experience. Do EMTs carry them? Is there a particular style that is a clear favorite? Or has anyone used a SOFTT-W on a child and found that it worked fine?

 

Thanks for any help!

 

Matt

[billybogota]

Disclaimer: I am not an EMT.  But a few EMT's I spoke with in the past recommended the SWAT tourniquets for pediatric use.

[redlegalpha]

What age / size / weight of the child? Here in Aust, 14 years and above we treat as an 'adult', but below that it varies somewhat......

 

Good question. In my specific case, we have all ages, but in the part of the church we would use these, the children are birth through 5th grade. We will have a regular SOFTT-W there for the adults who teach and larger kids, so I guess I'm looking for something for anyone too small to fit a SOFTT-W. Say somewhere between 100-120 pounds (45-55 kilos) and smaller?

 

Matt

Edited by redlegalpha, 04 December 2017 - 01:46 PM.

[redlegalpha]

Here is an example of something I've found that looks good. But I know that absent someone who has experience with them speaking up, there's no way to know if they're any good without using them. I may just need to order one and see.

 

https://www.rescue-e...ding-pediatric/

 

Matt

[pira114]

It'll work for children. In every class I've been to, it was recommended to use normal TQ for children. SofT, CAT, and distant third was SWAT T. Although, the SWAT makes a great pressure bandage.

I've done live tissue training, large and small limbs, all three proved effective.

[redlegalpha]

It'll work for children. In every class I've been to, it was recommended to use normal TQ for children. SofT, CAT, and distant third was SWAT T. Although, the SWAT makes a great pressure bandage.

I've done live tissue training, large and small limbs, all three proved effective.

Very helpful!

 

Thanks all!

 

Matt

[ArkansasFan]

Very helpful!

Thanks all!

Matt

Matt, the idea of church security has been on my mind for about three years primarily because I attend a church with a visible force of men that make you think secret service. At any rate, I follow the YouTube channel of a man named John Lovell founder of Warrior Poet Society. He has some information and training for church security. He was in the 75th Ranger Regiment before becoming a Christian missionary and later entering the training world. He might be a good source to reach out to. ITS has featured him a couple of times.

[redlegalpha]

Thanks guys. We're a plant of about 75 people meeting in a public elementary school. We're in the beginning phases of considering all aspects of security. There is no specific threat right now, so we're moving forward intentionally and methodically, but not panicked. Trauma kits and training in their use was an easy first step. We're working with our county sheriff's office on assessing our space and what steps can be taken to keep us from being an easy target. Of course, we also want to be a welcoming community, so a lot of visible "show of force" and "don't tread on me" will be counterproductive. As a vet, I enjoy thinking about risk assessment and mitigation, so it's been an interesting exercise. 

 

Thanks again for the input. If anyone else has anything to add, please don't hesitate to speak up.

 

Matt

[ducttapedave]

What else are you packing for medical training & equipment? Response times for medical emergencies? I am mostly just asking out of curiosity. I remember when I was a young lad suggesting to the youth pastor before a camping trip that a first aid kit would be a good idea. It's a nice change to see people being proactive.

[redlegalpha]

ducttapedave,

 

Sorry for the slow reply. Need to go fix my notifications. 

 

We have a basic first aid kit that has all the usual items for cuts and scrapes, stomach issues, headaches and pain. We also have trauma kits. The way we've set these up is individual kits. Each kit has one SOFTT-W tourniquet, a quikclot combat gauze, an Israeli bandage, halo chest vent seals, EMT shears, a sharpie marker, an emergency blanket, and a pair of nitrile gloves. We shrink-wrap these in clear plastic with a contents list and the date it was packed facing out. Here's a short video of the finished product:

 

https://www.instagra...daycarry_redleg

 

And the items laid out:

 

https://www.instagra...daycarry_redleg

 

As for training, we are setting up a one day class with a local guy who trains folks specifically on treating major hemorrhage and shock. He'll train us on our own kits. The training will be recurring annually and all our church officers and staff will be required to take it.

 

We keep some of the kits in our childcare area and the rest with us in the gym where we worship (we're a church plant).

 

Not sure about response times, yet. We haven't drilled anything. 

 

Have a Merry Christmas, all!

 

edit to add: We currently have 5 kits and I'm about to complete another 5. The question of how many to have is a tough one. In a mass cas event, the need could be significant. So the plan is to occasionally add kits as we're able. Right now we average 70 in worship, so we won't exceed that many kits any time soon.

Edited by redlegalpha, 22 December 2017 - 09:29 AM.

[pira114]

Don't forget ongoing training. An issue I had with my team was after 6 months, half of them had lost enough knowledge and skills to be ineffective