FASTx (next gen FAST 1 for IO)

[Iraq Ninja]

Those of you who have used FAST 1 may be interested in their new version. It is still pending the FDA, but appears to be a bit faster.



Here is a video of two Blackwater medics demonstrating the older version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPsK-...B644C&index=57

[Vash1023]

ouch

thats video sucks. lol

[Iraq Ninja]

FAST is a good piece of kit, IF you are trained up on it. It is not something you get and throw in your med pouch.

We only use it after two failed attempts at IV access.

[Danny Boy]

Those things are bad ass. Thanks for the heads up.

We were made very familiar with those in Whiskey. The one problem with them being the potential for infection inside the bone tissue, but chances are you've got bigger problems if someones using them on you. We're told to treat them as our buddy and not be afraid to use them.

One of the Officers snapped a pic of a medic trying to put one in the lower sternum rather than the sternal notch..... d'oh. Please get properly trained if you get one.

The flush is apparently the worst part as far as pain goes. The one criticism of that vid is that he really didn't flush hard enough, or at least not as hard as we were taught to do it. But hey, it's not my chest and my pain.

[NinjaMedic]

The FAST is a good system but I prefer the EZ-IO as it is a bit more versatile and just as fast in my opinion. Always excited to see more options on the market though!

We often use them first line in critical pt's and with a little lidocaine even conscious pt's are a lot more tolerant of it.

Also while they rightfully claim that it is an extremely fast route to get medications to the heart it is not realisitically any faster than any other IO access site.

[brit]

the EZ-IO was developed by a local MD who is also one of the medical directors for a local EMS service. I've had the chance to practice with one, and I must say, its awesome!

I've been told that the medication administration is more painful than the drill entering the bone.

[lexmedic157]

I've drilled EZ-IO on countless patients unresponsive and alert. For my conscious patients most didn't complain much about the drilling (just the sound, and the idea of it), but the infusion was serious pain (tons of nerve endings in the marrow space). 20mg of 2% lidocaine does the trick. Only thing I wish was different was the price for the replacements.

[Iraq Ninja]

NM,

The reason I was told we don't get the EZ-IO is because it is not ideal for our environment. First of all, it is battery powered. Also, trauma incidents here typically involve amputations or severe trauma to the extremities. The sternum/manubrium are generally well protected due to the body armor.

The problem I see with FAST is that people fail to get the proper angle on the manubrium, and when it doesn't activate, they press harder and harder.

BTW, we are limited to NS and our normal time lines to definitive care can be from 20 minutes to 1 hour.

[lexmedic157]

I could see the problem with the batteries, but I've also heard that soldiers in Iraq use them without the driver in the traditional Jamshidi method. I too have had poor results with FAST devices. Had the angle line up great and easy to activate only to shatter the manubrium.

I do like the EZIO for the use on all sorts of patients. Remember the days we had to use Jelcos for all our trauma/coded patients? We've come a long way!

[MIKE G]

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