When this thread started [I suggested to the company that they might want to interject some information in this thread. Bob Grau, the inventor, has finally responded, but for some reason they were unable to post a reply and asked that I post this for them]
To all those who expressed interest and/or an opinion regarding the Emergency Bandage, Thanks. I hope I can provide the missing information. My name is Bob and I am the inventor of the Emergency bandage, (EB). I am a medic in the IDF Reserves, in a combat infantry unit.
The device was designed to replace not only the personal field dressing, but also the often very useful non-sterile triangular dressing and sometimeseven a tourniquet. One of the main ideas behind the device is consolidation leading to focus, putting all the treatment equipment for traumatic hemorrhagic wounds into one piece. Primary dressing, pressure application, secondary sterile dressing, immobilization and tourniquet if needed. The caregiver has what he needs in his hands to treat another or himself without having to look for additional equipment or accessories. (A Dr. once said to
me that: " Disaster=Distraction". In the military, and many times in civilian cases there are more than one injured needing care. You're treating "A", and you need to go to your vest or kit only 5 meters away to get something and on the way "B" and "C" either call for your help or attract your attention; "A" could fall between the cracks). The EB consolidates the treatment equipment into a single unit, saving space, time and $.
The application of the EB is fast and quick, starting with a primary dressing to cover the wound site. The pressure bar is situated as seen in the photos on the topside of the dressing, opposite to the side coming in contact with the wound. The elastic leader engages the pressure bar and forces it down on to the pad creating an area of direct pressure through the pad on to the wound site. The possibility of some tissue damage exists, but is mitigated by a number of factors. 1. The plastic has no direct contact
with the wound, but through the pad; 2. of course the time factor is crucial, with the goal of a quick evacuation; 3. the amount of pressure applied is controllable depending upon the nature of the wound, serious wound-more pressure, less serious-less pressure; 4. I'll take ischemia and even necrosis vs a funeral. The pressure bar, in cases when absolutely no hard objects should be in the wound area such as with a foreign body embedded, or suspicion of spinal injury, can be cut or torn off the top of
the pad. In addition to its primary function of pressure application, the pressure bar facilitates bandaging enabling one handed application if needed as the pressure bar acts as a sort of a buckle, holding but not locking the wrapping leader and allowing the creation of traction, and also providing
the ability to change direction when bandaging. For example, with a head wound you can wrap the leader around the top of the head and under the chin and using the pressure bar you can turn the wrapping leader around it to wrap around the fore and back of the head, covering the pad and wound
site/area from two directions; this provides for good placement and keeps the bandage in place, this is important for other body parts, (groin, armpit, shoulder) as well, other than circular limbs or the torso.
The elasticized wrapping leader is woven to remain at its maximum width throughout and does not bunch up and become like a rope to create an inadvertent and sometimes unknown tourniquet. And as it stays wide all the time it covers and extends beyond the area of the pad creating a very good
secondary dressing covering the whole wound area with a sterile covering and keeps the pad and pressure in place. As the wrapping leader is a long elasticized bandage, there may be instances where after accomplishing the placement of the pad, pressure and secondary dressing there is enough leader left to be used as a sling or limb immobilization device. The closure bar at the end of the wrapping leader provides a very quick and easy means of closure. There are two clips, one at each end of the bar, looking like the clip at the top of a pen. Even one of them inserted to a previous revolution of the wrapping leader will hold the application in place. Knots come loose, tape and Velcro get wet, hooks puncture gloves and skin - if you tried hard, you couldn't scratch yourself or the victim with the clips on the closure bar.
The closure bar is the apparatus used to effect a tourniquet. Inserting it into one or more of the previous revolutions of the wrapping leader 5 cm above the wound site and twisting takes up the slack in the wrapping leader and tightens it until the blood flow is constricted. I want to stress that in almost all situations, tourniquets are to be avoided, and should be used only by those with first aid training and/or experience. Sometimes though, if you see that you have more than one wounded, or it is night and you can't really determine the extent of blood loss; or for example, the limb has more than one wound in it - you don't have the time, or sometimes the equipment to bandage every open wound, you apply a stringent blood constricting dressing or even tourniquet to the wound most proximal to the heart to stem the loss of blood from all the wounds. The wrapping leader as it remains wide over the pad and wound area presents a large enough surface area to write on - the exact time of tourniquet application.
The device was designed for use in the field, space and weight in a medic's vest are prime considerations, likewise in first aid kits or mobile units; helicopters and emergency rescue vehicles.
Consolidation saves $. Bandage to bandage, the EB may be only slightly more expensive, treatment to
treatment the EB is much less expensive, taking into account all the additional equipment that must be on hand. The savings is along the whole route. Purchasing, storing, training on 3 or 4 pieces of equipment vs. that same chain for one article. Don't misunderstand, I want to save lives, I also want to get rich <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I want everyone to buy my bandage and no one to need it.
The bottom line is that the EB gives the caregiver a lot of freedom and focus at the same time. It was designed with a great deal of respect for the caregiver and for his/her ability to improvise. It's very versatile and gives the caregiver many options to apply an effective, God Willing, life saving dressing.
Bob Grau
[NOTE: images at
http://www.equipped.org/pp/pic911.htm and Doug's article from the SAR conference with additional information at
]http://www.equipped.org/rw_sar_02.htm