Equipment 8-810 - Splint Traction

CMH EMS & MIH Protocols

Scope of Practice:

Emergency Medical Technician
Advanced Emergency Medical Technician
Registered Nurse
Paramedic

Indications:

Protocol 2-396 - Extremity Trauma.

Contraindications:

Proximal femur fracture.
Pelvic fracture.
Tibia/fibula fracture.

Precautions:

In the case of open fracture with obvious contamination, loose debris should be brushed away and flushed with Saline prior to reduction.

Procedure:

Assess distal pulse, motor, and sensation. If pulses are absent, apply manual, inline Traction. Pulseoximetry can help with distal pulse monitoring.
Consider MEDICAL CONTROL for angulated or pulseless fractures.
Stabilize limb manually.
Advanced Life Support: Consider sedation or analgesia prior to moving extremity.
In general, if distal pulses and sensation are present, field reduction should not be attempted.
Reassess distal pulse, motor, and sensation.
Patient destination should be a trauma center.
In the event of bilateral femur fractures, consider MAST pants.

Citations:

Protocol 9-010 - References

Change Log:

Date	Link to previous version	Description of change
12/15/13	pdf	Added EMT scope of practice statement.
12/29/14	pdf	Added info from 8-340 (Sager Splint) and removed 8-340.
07/04/20		Renumbered the section to allow for future additions.
08/08/20	pdf	Added content (without substantive modification) from old Section 8-400 - Traction Splint.
06/15/21	pdf	Moved to emsprotocols.online
03/17/23		Changed link for saline.

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