Immobilisering av extremitetsfrakturer inom ambulanssjukvård : Ett pilotprojekt med SAM-splint

Sammanfattning: Within the ambulance care in Uppsala County a vacuum splint is used to immobilize fractures on extremities. The research available on which method of immobilizing to prefer during pre-hospital treatment is limited.   The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the perceptions of the ambulance personal in Uppsala County on the issue of usability of SAM-splint and vacuum splint when immobilizing extremities. The project was also aimed at researching if SAM-splint could be seen as an alternative or a complement to vacuum splint, and to get an apprehension on any evident differences in patients’ perceived pain when treated with the two different approaches.   A descriptive comparative study was carried out. All patients, regardless of age and sex, with the need of immobilizing supposed fractures, were included.  Patients with suspected femur fracture, collum fracture, or where pre-hospital care was not possible or in question, was excluded. The collection of data was done using a questionnaire designed by the students responsible for the project. The ambulance personal completed the questionnaire after having concluded the treatment.   The result showed that all patients with fractures to their extremities were immobilized. There were no evident differences in how the personal experienced the application of the two methods of immobilizing, but rather they were generally both perceived as easy to use. In Uppsala, where the paramedics had access to both SAM-splint and vacuum splint, the SAM-splint was the predominant choice.   Based on this pilot study it can be established that the ambulance personal experienced the methods for immobilizing as easy in the event of fractures to the extremities. The SAM-splint is to be seen as a complement to the vacuum splint. Any difference in perceived patient rated pain connected to the different methods of immobilizing was not to deduce.