Aeromedix.com - flightBlog - Essentials news concerning safety and medical issues in AVIATION

It’s no secret serious use of a personal airplane requires climbing far above pattern and practice altitudes where the air is thinner and true airspeeds peak. That, more than anything else, may explain the veritable explosion in complete, state-of-the-art portable oxygen systems and the accessories that go with them. If your airplane doesn’t have built-in oxygen, and the time and money to add it isn’t in the cards, you’re a prime candidate for a portable system. Total cost for a two-user system? Under $500. But if you usually carry more people or need a few bells and whistles, things start getting complicated: The choices available from some vendors can be almost as dizzying as five hours in the teens without O₂.

Many folks who love the OxyArm designed by Walt Atkinson and Rob Apens want
oxygen conservation as well.  Now Aeromedix has done just that by combining the
“pendant” Oximiser with the OxyArm.  The Oximiser pendant is a hockey puck shaped
plastic container which has a collapsible plastic bag.  This is normally connected to a
routine nasal cannula.  At Aeromedix, we combined the OxyArm with an Oximiser
pendant by cutting the pendant’s built in cannula and replacing with the OxyArm.
Testing shows effective oxygen savings in the 50% range.  (The device works by
storing the oxygen being delivered during the exhalation and pause portions of the
respiratory cycle and delivering the stored oxygen during the vacuum created during
inhalation.  Thus, flow rates can reduced by about one half.  We recommend an pulse
oximeter to check oxygen saturation with all oxygen use.)

 Oximiser pendants can be purchased separately if you already have an OxyArm for
$26.95.  With the OxyArm as a combo, it is $125.95.

 Only from Aeromedix.

With the SPOT Satellite Messenger, you and your loved ones have peace of mind knowing help is always within reach. SPOT is the only device of its kind, using the GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, and then sending its location – with a link to Google Maps™ – and a pre-programmed message via a commercial satellite network. And unlike Personal Locator Beacons, SPOT does more than just call for help. Tracking your progress, checking in with loved ones, and non-emergency assistance are also available, all at the push of a button. And because it uses 100% satellite technology, SPOT works around the world – even where cell phones don’t.

When it comes to controlling severe bleeding, QuikClot is the best thing since sliced bread.

QuikClot is a very small beaded material that absorbs smaller water molecules from the blood leaving platelet and clotting factors that stops even severe arterial and venous bleeding.  Experiments on pigs with lacerations of the femoral artery in the groin showed a reduction of fatalities in this almost always fatal wound by 50%.  (This exact type of injury occurred to a local veterinarian working on a horse by himself near our office.  He unfortunately died at the scene.  I will always wonder if he would have been saved if QuikClot had been available.)                     

QuikClot is particularly useful whenever bleeding cannot be stopped by a tourniquet or direct pressure like the head, neck, chest and abdomen, the material aids homeostasis (control of bleeding) in the limbs with a tourniquet or direct pressure.  Instructions for use are basic–pour the granules over the wound until you can see a layer of the beads.  More than than is not necessary.  For the impregnated sponge type, just stuff the sponges into the wound.  The material is removed by irrigation when the appropriate definitive medical care can be delivery.

Only the amount of QuikClot that is necessary to cover the wound should be used since the material creates some heat.  This is not a big problem and the amount of material is directly related to the amount of heat.  Once the beads cover the wound, do not put any more on.  Once the QuikClot absorbs the fluids, the heat stops so it the heat only lasts for a few seconds.

Unfortunately, once a package is opened, it cannot be used later since the absorption of humidity renders QuikClot inactive.  The package can be used on multiple wounds or multiple patients once opened.

The shelf life of an unopened package is three years with the only restriction being not to leave it in direct sunlight.  It can be exposed to ambient heat and cold.

When it first came out a few  years ago for military use, I wanted Aeromedix to carry it but they only sold in large quantities unsuitable for individual use.  Z-Medica, the manufacturer, has now recognized the consumer and EMS market so they have made packaging consumer friendly.  Aeromedix only carries the prescription level QuikClot beads and the QuikClot ACS which is a fabric sponge impregnated with the beads, not the over the counter formulation, which does not work as well.

I recommend everyone carry QuikClot in their first aid kit and have it on the self in every shop where injuries can occur.  This stuff is truly lifesaving!