MAST

[Guest emtb23]

Has anyone ever actually used MAST? Would you do it again? I'm just curious.

[WAS967 97]

I've used MAST before. On a rare occasion I might consider using it again (unstable pelvic/leg fractures) or a traumatic arrest. But the second is a very distant maybe, the first being the more likely.

[IzzyEng4 427]

Used it one at an accident when I was an explorer and the only time I have seen it used. The injuried person survied their leg injuries. I have never used it but I would.

[Jybehofd 85]

I have used them on a bi-lat femar frac once but that was it. Worked out great, just didn't inflate the abdomin part of the pants.

[mfc2257 464]

Can someone go into more detail about experiences with them. In the box and out of the box reasons to use them.

I was trained on them many moons ago. Seen them used once but I was driving the ambulance and communicating with other incomming units before a commanding officer arrived so my 2 EMT's and the medic were doing all the work and I don't even remember why the call was made to use them.

[calhobs 110]

I have used them several times, but that was back when it was popular If you want the information on when it was used let me know

Edited May 24, 2006 by calhobs

[JohnnyOV 2]

arent the MAST's out of protocol? if not when were they placed back into protocol?

[calhobs 110]

arent the MAST's out of protocol? if not when were they placed back into protocol?

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From my understanding they never were out of protocol, but if you read the protocol on it now it might as well be out. Many EMT classes do not even bother teaching it.

Edited May 24, 2006 by calhobs

[GAW6 66]

I have used them - I am very sorry that they don't even teach the skill in EMT classes anymore. They are still part of the protocol, but with very strict circumstances for warranting the use.

One time in particular that I used them - it was for a motorcycle accident, the victim lost his leg, he had no palpable B/P. The staff at WMC told us that the MAST pants are what saved his life.

[calhobs 110]

One rumor i heard why they are not used anymore is that ER Doctors did not know how to take them off. They use to cut them off which i seen myself done a few times in my career. Like i said this is a rumor I heard and happend to witness myself, so please dont think i am bashing doctors. Was wondering if anyone else heard that rumor

[Guest WolfEMT]

That may not be such a rumor and may be more closer to fact that anything else. A big con of MAST pants is that the ED staff has to slowly deflate the pants so as to ensure that the pt's BP won't drop out. Of course, we live in the days of the fast-track ED where everything is pretty quick (at least where I'm from), so the length of time it takes to deflate the pants can present a problem. So, in my experience, I've seen them actually cut off the patient (at a trauma center to boot), which is pretty counter-productive if you ask me.

[201/65 94]

From my understanding they never were out of protocol, but if you read the protocol on it now it might as well be out. Many EMT classes do not even bother teaching it.

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They tought it in the EMT class i took, just finished waiting on my results.

[tbendick 27]

For us NYC people, MAST is no longer used and has been removed from the ambulances...

We were pretty much giving the reason that there is no proof that MAST helped or didn't help.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I only used them once also and that was similiar to what many have...bi-lat femur fractures. Worked very well to stabilize both. This was right before the protocol changed and basically made them non-existant in usage when based on the parameters in the protocol. I've often felt in regard to MAST that it was a out of sight/out of mind piece of equipment. Some of us get fairly regular trauma compared to other areas of the county and the MAST were often kept in exterior compartments on the bus, or buried in the flycar. On top of being lost in the progressive critical decisions making process and coordination of a trauma and moving quickly and assessing accurately.

[WAS967 97]

In the box and out of the box reasons to use them.

In the box? It used to make a good stool for sitting in the doorway between compartments when stuck in the back of the ambulance as a "gopher" way back when (before I knew better than to sit there with no seatbelt on). :angry:

[Guest]

For us NYC people, MAST is no longer used and has been removed from the ambulances...

We were pretty much giving the reason that there is no proof that MAST helped or didn't help.

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With the transport distance and time to our trauma centers in the boroughs so short it made perfect sense to remove them. However in the circumstance that the transport time or on scene time far exceeds that of the norm I would consider using them. Such as in a rural setting, But again as WAS said before, there would be a slight questioning of reason before I would go throug with it.

[Guest]

I have used MAST (or PASG) a number of times....on both traumatic calls, as well as medical emergencies. In fact, I have seen them come and go four separate times.

In trauma, they worked quite well..I never had to go to the morgue to retrieve them. Whether used for pelvic stabilization, direct pressure managing a femoral artery transection, or all-out multi-sustem trauma....they worked better than some partners.

At one time, a pilot program was devised to use them in non-traumatic arrests, with no real success.

I welcome them back....

be safe...

[STAT213 332]

I feel old now. Thanks guys...

Though it has been a while, I have used them more times that I can count...

[Remember585 815]

I can recall 3 times in 14 years that I've used them / seen them used.

I actually have had to use a traction splint even less.

[Guest]

SHEESH the last time i used 'em was for a traumatic arrest on zerega ave in da bronx, I think we used to keep them next to the hay for the horse..............lol

[Guest paramedico987]

I haven't used em... and likely won't get to since they're not on any of my units...

I had been told that the reason they "don't work" according to some is that they must be deflated before the patient has an ex-lap, which must be done slowly as to not drop the patient's pressure... which means more blood needs to be added... which will be lost due to internal injuries... which is why the MAST is used in the first place. so they DO WORK just not in the long term if the injury is within the abdominal cavity.

Sort of a chicken/egg scenerio.

[ny10570 745]

I had been told that the reason they "don't work" according to some is that they must be deflated before the patient has an ex-lap, which must be done slowly as to not drop the patient's pressure... which means more blood needs to be added... which will be lost due to internal injuries... which is why the MAST is used in the first place.  so they DO WORK just not in the long term if the injury is within the abdominal cavity.

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They don't work because ER staff was removing them too quickly and in some cases field units were delaying txp to put them on, they were rarely used and without practice can take a while to get on right. As far as preventing access to the abdomen, you can inflate only the legs or deflate only the top portion. In most situations that call for mast to be used you taking serious internal injuries. And unless you're stabalizing a pelvic fx with mast there is no such thing as short term. It can take hours to remove them properly.

[Guest Rich DD]

In my 28 years in EMS I've used it maybe 5 times. The first 3 times were for trauma.... when it was "ok" to use it for trauma. And the last 2 times I've used it was for bi-lateral leg fracturs for stabilizaion only.

I won't use them for trauma any more other than leg/pelvis fractures. They are really good for stabilizing such fractures. In my opinion.... nothing more!!

[shac 7313 0]

One rumor i heard why they are not used anymore is that ER Doctors did not know how to take them off. They use to cut them off which i seen myself done a few times in my career. Like i said this is a rumor I heard and happend to witness myself, so please dont think i am bashing doctors. Was wondering if anyone else heard that rumor

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thats so true in my time in ems i used once in my life