Today I just finished the 2-day course on fractures management in the ED from CASTED.  It is one of the best course I ever did in my life.  I think we should teach it to med students or during residency.

Practicing splinting in the ER made me wondered what would I bring on my next expedition? When asked, they suggested to bring fibreglass splinting (Dynacast Prelude), which could be a reasonable option because it is really light. For those who have worked with it, they are great to immobilize a joint or a fracture but they dry up quite fast. Also, they are not reusable, unless the same patient uses it later for the same injury.

The best for an expedition would be to bring a material that is versatile, that could be used on different patients unless blood was spilled on and light weight.

Anyway, I decided to test how long they last in Ziplock bags. I cut a 30cm slab in two different bags and took the air out.  I will check in a few days then see on the long term how soft they stay.

My question to you, what do you use to splint patients during your expeditions?

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