Vacuum mattress
A vacuum matress is a medical device used for the immobilisation of patients, especially in case of vertebra, a pelvis or a limb trauma (especially for femur trauma), as well for hand transportation of patients on short distances (it replaces the stretcher). It was invented by Loed and Haederlé, who called it "shell" matress (matelas coquille in french).
It consists in a sealed polymer bag (bigger than an adult human body) that encloses small polystyrene balls, with a valve, straps and handles. It is washable and invisible to X-rays.
When the matress is under air, the ball are free and the mattress can be moulded; usually, the vacuum matress is put on a stretcher, the patient is put on the matress (e.g. with a scoop stretcher), and the sides of the matress are moulded around the patient. Then, the air is pumped through the valve and the valve is closed; the atmospheric pressure presses the balls together and the matress becomes hard and rigid; the straps are tied.
The full spine immobilisation (splint) is performed with:
- a rigid cervical collar
- a vacuum matress
- a stretcher under it (the longitudinal stiffness of the matress alone is not sufficient).
It is an alternative to the use of a long spine board. Its advantages are:
- it is comfortable;
- it is adapted to all traumas, included spine and femoral traumas;
- the victim feels secured;
- it can be used instead of a stretcher for hand transportation (with the handles, e.g. in stairs) when longitudinal rigidity is not critical.
It drawbacks are:
- it is relatively fragile, and becomes useless at any degradation (the vacuum requires a perfectly sealed enveloppe);
- therefore, it cannot be used alone as a scoop device (it must be put on a stretcher).
- it is heavier than a board;
