new Setopress bandages for snakebite

[Guest]

Yeah I really like the idea of those Setopress bandages but added the other for options if anyone balks at the price. I may upgrade to them if I need to get some more but I'm confident in using the others until I do. (I do yearly refresher training in Advanced Resuscitation & Life Support as well as 3 yearly Occupational/Manage First Aid in the Workplace & due to our remote location cover snake bite fairly well. We even have a "pet" red belly that is sighted during summer near our bath house)
At the end of the day I would use a t-shirt etc. if I had to - anything handy would be better than nothing.
Casper - its all good info & anything that can save time in remote area type response is very handy. Something as simple as a texta mark can be a big help once the pros take over.

 

[condor22]

FYI if you are in SA. I emailed the distributor Maureene, she supplied the following 2 contacts for SA

Atlas Health Care 08 8177 1600
Independence Australia (Nailsworth) - 1300 788 855

I did my first 1st Aid course in 1967 and have done at least 25 refreshers, but I would stilll not be too sure about the correct tension of the bandage, more so if applying one to myself. So the Setopress is ideal and I reckon my life is worth a bit more than $32. Especially when I spent nearly $7,000 to go out "there" in the first place.

Kinda makes saving 20 bucks seem a little petty, .

 

[HeadsUp]

FYI if you are in SA. I emailed the distributor Maureene, she supplied the following 2 contacts for SA

Atlas Health Care 08 8177 1600
Independence Australia (Nailsworth) - 1300 788 855

I did my first 1st Aid course in 1967 and have done at least 25 refreshers, but I would stilll not be too sure about the correct tension of the bandage, more so if applying one to myself. So the Setopress is ideal and I reckon my life is worth a bit more than $32. Especially when I spent nearly $7,000 to go out "there" in the first place.

Kinda makes saving 20 bucks seem a little petty, .

If you have a backup safety plan , you can go anywhere , instead of avoiding detecting a thick patch of bush because you have seen snakes there a few times , you can strap on your snake gaiters , stick your Epirb and bandages in your pack and go yonder ....... " with due care"

 

[Village]

Just a couple of key points you may or may not know.

Compression bandages should be applied from the point on the limb closests to the heart and worked down away pass the bite.

For you detectorists the optimal place to carry the same would be taped to your harness, on the vertical support just down off the shoulder, and this should be done on the non predominat side. Use duck tape, it tears across the width with ease.

PLB( epripb, and as a land based user you would be better served with a PLB) when you register your device, remember that on activation, AMSA will call the next kin straight away during the scramble, first to check it's not an accidental activation and two to notify. If your next kin, may not take such news easy, put down a next of kin, who would be able to notify your partner in person.

In the field, UHF channel 5 is the emergency channel, it is 24 hour monitored and you would be surprised on the greater range of coverage. Most uhf's now come with a monitor function, what ever channel your on, set you radio to monitor both that and channel 5. You may save someone's life, if they can' t reach the operator you may be able to relay. Also remember that you should be carrying a 5 watt radio too, be carefull be sell 1 watt radios.

 

[Guest]

The "pressure-immobilisation" technique is currently recommended by the Australian Resuscitation Council, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

Just a couple of key points you may or may not know.

Compression bandages should be applied from the point on the limb closests to the heart and worked down away pass the bite.

The new way of thinking is to start at the extremities i.e. fingers or toes & work your way up the limb. Include the fingers or toes also to prevent movement.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/doc/member-docs/655/1389130906_guideline_9-4-1-july11.pdf

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/doc/member-docs/655/1389130947_guideline-9-4-8-aug11.pdf

 

[Guest]

FYI if you are in SA. I emailed the distributor Maureene, she supplied the following 2 contacts for SA

Atlas Health Care 08 8177 1600
Independence Australia (Nailsworth) - 1300 788 855

I did my first 1st Aid course in 1967 and have done at least 25 refreshers, but I would stilll not be too sure about the correct tension of the bandage, more so if applying one to myself. So the Setopress is ideal and I reckon my life is worth a bit more than $32. Especially when I spent nearly $7,000 to go out "there" in the first place.

Kinda makes saving 20 bucks seem a little petty, .

If I had done 25 first aid courses & wasn't comfortable applying a compression bandage I'd want a refund. Pretty basic stuff.
I don't think buying a kit that is completely adequate for the job & includes 3 x bandages, a resus mask, non adherent pad & detailed first aid instructions is petty but fairly sensible considering it costs less than 1 x setopress bandage. Not saying the setopress is no good just pointing out there are other adequate options out there for less cost & also with more gear in kit form.

 

[condor22]

Yes Village is wrong, mbasko correct

Here's the St John first aid link http://stjohn.org.au/assets/uploads/fact sheets/english/FS_snakebite.pdf

Start at extremeties (fingers/toes) and work up as far as possible. Although it is not stated, some also state that, once the limb is bandaged, you place another bandage (if available) from the top of the limb back down to the bottom. In over 40 years of 1st Aid experience, I've never seen a procedure of starting at the top of the limb.

 

[Village]

The "pressure-immobilisation" technique is currently recommended by the Australian Resuscitation Council, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

Just a couple of key points you may or may not know.

Compression bandages should be applied from the point on the limb closests to the heart and worked down away pass the bite.

The new way of thinking is to start at the extremities i.e. fingers or toes & work your way up the limb. Include the fingers or toes also to prevent movement.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/doc/member-docs/655/1389130906_guideline_9-4-1-july11.pdf

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/doc/member-docs/655/1389130947_guideline-9-4-8-aug11.pdf

Well being honest,the application of a pressure bandage is to stifle the follow of poison or venom from progressing to vital organs in the abdomen, not keen on the new recommendation, think I ll keep to the old way. Doing that way just assists the venom in reaching its target. Must be only new, I do my advanced and remote ticket annually, wasn ' t in last years course, but that was in May, will have to wait and see this May.

 

[Guest]

The application of the pressure immobilisation technique is primarily about immobilising the affected limb. Australian snake venom spreads via the lymphatic system & movement promotes constriction/expansion, which is what essentially pumps lymph around our body, allowing it to more readily empty anything our lymph nodes etc. can't handle back into the blood stream I.e. snake venom.
The pressure helps reduce the "pumping" action of the lymphatic system but the best effectiveness occurs in conjunction with the immobilisation. To be honest I was originally taught to do this from top down as Village posted but in the last 2 years have been told to use the extremity up version due to:
-most bites occuring low on arms & legs I.e. ankles, calf, hand, lower arm etc.
-being able to immobilise the fingers/toes + wrist/ankle first as a great deal of movement/pumping action comes from these e.g. open & close your fist - what does your arm do? I notice more movement in my arms/legs moving my feet/hands fingers/toes then my elbow or knee especially lower areas. Also legs/arms can be laid out flat to lessen elbow/knee movement
-belief that it is more comfortable applied from extremity up for the patient
-any venom "squeezed" upward is minimal if any at all

As Village said though stick to what you have been taught. Can't get into any trouble then & its what you know but all first aid training provider's should be teaching the new technique by now.

 

[V_8]

Thanks Heads Up, I have been in surf rescue for years and it still amazes me at how often they change the CPR procedure - will pick up a couple of these for the 1st Aid Kit for sure.

 

[Village]

Like I said mbasko, there were no changes last May, see if they want to come up with something different. Always happy to learn a new thing.