Keith Conover, M.D. wrote:
>
> Not a joke, really.
>
> I've been quietly listening to the list for a while, and indeed this
> is the right place to ask this question.
>
> I work as medical director for mountain and cave rescue teams, and we
> try to plan ahead for even unlikely occurrences -- such as a caver
> with a leg trapped under a rock.
>
> Don't worry about anaesthesia, bleeding control, etc. And don't
> worry about the skin and soft tissues -- cutting through them with a
> serrated pocket knife is fine.
>
> The problem is cutting through the big bone in the middle, in cramped
> spaces. In the operating room under controlled circumstances, we use
> a wire saw like those sold in camping stores (about 14" long with
> serrations along it, a split ring on either end). Actually, one of
> the orthopedic surgeons in Charlotte, NC has switched to actual
> camping saws -- they're a lot cheaper and work just as well.
>
> But one of these saws requires a fair bit of room around the leg, and
> might not work very well in some situations. An alternative is a
> Gerber folding camp saw, which can be used with minimal motion even
> in a confined space. But it still requires some motion, and in some
> situations might be very slow and tiring to use.
>
> I had seen a "WoodZig" at the local Hechinger's last year -- a tiny
> battery-powered chainsaw (blade about 6" long) on a long stick, for
> tree pruning. But Hechinger was out of them. And when I called up
> the company in Portland, OR, they said they had discontinued them
> and had nothing similar to offer. Gak. It had looked ideal -- just
> hold it in place and it would cut right through.
>
> Any of the inventive minds on this list seen anything else that would
> be good? The requirements are:
>
> 1. lasts long enough to cut through a leg
> 2. can adapt to using non-rechargable batteries (don't trust NiCads
> for rare, life-safety situations)
> 3. lightweight for hauling into wherever
> 4. can be easily used in very tight situations where one can just
> reach in with one hand.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions.
>
> Keith Conover, M.D., FACEP (NSS 12893, WD4PSY)
> http://www.pitt.edu/~kconover
> - Information Systems Coordinator, Dept. of EM, Mercy Hospital
> - Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept. of Emergency Medicine,
> Univ. of Pittsburgh (EM Residency and Center for Emergency Medicine)
> - Medical Director, Wilderness EMS Institute
> (http://www.wemsi.org; for a WEMSI-sponsored list, send "subscribe
> wilderness-emergency-medicine" to Majordomo@list.pitt.edu)
> - Eastern Region, Natl. Cave Rescue Comm./Appalachian SAR Conf.
Keith: Try Harbor Freight Tools (800)423-2567 for all types of hand saws
and power saws. They should have something to meet the need.
Have you thought about moving the rock? They also have lots of pry bar
tools. Good luck. Dont get your leg caught somewhere.
regards,
Chuck
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