Spencer’s anti-shock trousers carry out a triple function for traumatised patients. The first consists of foreseeing haemostasis, by applying pressure to the surrounding tissue where there are bleeding blood vessels, thus reducing the blood flow. The second regards the self-transfusion of patients in a state of shock: the application of the trousers and the subsequent swelling of the internal air chambers immobilize the equivalent of the two units of blood from the extremity and from the abdomen, towards the heart, through the compression of the superficial draining vessels of the legs and pelvis. The third function is the pneumatic immobilization of fractures of the lower limbs and pelvis and above all, of comminuted or unstable fractures.
Indications:
- Hypovolumetric shock
- Abdominal haemorrhage from massive traumas or penetrating wounds, that are not usually controlled by traditional methods (for example: plasma expander)
- Serious wounds or external losses of large volumes of blood in the areas covered by the trousers, during the pre operative period
- Breakage of abdominal aneurysms with haemo dynamic compression
- Instable fractures of the femur, pelvis and lower extremities in poly-traumatised patients
Contraindication:
Total:
- Pulmonary aedema
Relative:
- Full-term pregnancy
- Cardiogenic shock
- Congestion cardiac failure
Due to these characteristics the anti-shock trousers are indispensable in emergency situations or transport outside of the hospital or in transporting the haemo dynamically instable patient from a small clinic to a large hospital, or likewise to stabilise a patient before an urgent surgical intervention in particular situations (at night, during preparation of the theatre or the surgical team).
