Multi-tools in the medical setting

Street Samurai1978

Street Samurai1978

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Was wondering if any medical professionals (doctors, nurses, EMT/paramedics) carry any multi-tools with them and what they use them for? I work in a level one traume center and I find all sorts of uses for my Charge TTI, from fixing broken suction units and other such equipment to cutting off dressings, serving as an emergency hemostat, milking/stripping tubings, cutting pills, crushing pills, clamping, etc. Not the most sterile thing in the world, but I always give it a good wipe with calvacide before and after use, if I have the time.
 
I too work at a Level I Trauma Center here in the PNW, though it's in the Ambulatory Pharmacy. The EMTs that are around and what's on their person I see from time-to-time, appears to have what looks like Leatherman sheaths. Although I cannot say with certainty. Maybe I'll ask one of these days.
 
Street Samurai1978 said:
Was wondering if any medical professionals (doctors, nurses, EMT/paramedics) carry any multi-tools with them and what they use them for? I work in a level one traume center and I find all sorts of uses for my Charge TTI, from fixing broken suction units and other such equipment to cutting off dressings, serving as an emergency hemostat, milking/stripping tubings, cutting pills, crushing pills, clamping, etc. Not the most sterile thing in the world, but I always give it a good wipe with calvacide before and after use, if I have the time.
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Not just unsterile, but unsanitary. Forgive my saying, but I would request a new nurse/CNA if you were assigned to me.
 
I am in Paramedic school (already an EMT) and all of the medics carry some sort of multi-tool. However, keep in mind that all Paramdics in Florida are also Firefighters.

I have rarely seen them used in a medical role but more for maintenance role.

With that being said, I carry a leatherman charge Ti.
 
I carry a SAK everyday at work (in and out of hospital), but, honestly, I can't recall using it for work tasks.
In my opinion, the role of MT (and the so called "rescue tools") in emergency medicine is way over-rated.
Usually, some good safety shears are more than enough to perform the tasks you face in such setting.
My two cents, of course.

:cool:
 
There is a tendency among multi-tool enthusiasts, which is what we seem to be, to use these things in place of dedicated tools even when those are available. That includes me. Often I like to pop open beer bottles with my SAK cap lifter rather than the bottle opener right there in easy reach, "just because." Often that extends to other jobs as well, like tightening a screw on a doorknob with whatever m-t I have on me instead of the hard slog of walking 15 feet away to the tool box for a proper screwdriver. That's just the gadgeteer in me, harmless unless it gets in the way of sound judgement.

Most people who own multi-tools don't have the same attitude. Everybody I know who carries these things for work or whatnot doesn't care much about multi-tools as a subject of interest, regarding them as they would their key rings or any other every day item. I have never had a conversation with any of them about their EDC that I didn't start. For the most part, that's how things should be rather than shoehorning something into a situation where it has no place, something the enthusiast should be aware of to avoid.

Except in dire emergencies where no proper tool exists, a rare occurrence, multi-tools have no medical purpose and should not be considered for such.
 
I second macdo's comments. I have been carrying some form of multi at work for over 20 years. It is for turning on the O2 cylinder when the wrench goes missing and opening boxes of supplies.
 
They finally got rid of the O2 cylinders that use the wrench, thank God. Someone else puts the regulators on
 
Street Samurai1978 said:
Was wondering if any medical professionals (doctors, nurses, EMT/paramedics) carry any multi-tools with them and what they use them for? I work in a level one traume center and I find all sorts of uses for my Charge TTI, from fixing broken suction units and other such equipment to cutting off dressings, serving as an emergency hemostat, milking/stripping tubings, cutting pills, crushing pills, clamping, etc. Not the most sterile thing in the world, but I always give it a good wipe with calvacide before and after use, if I have the time.
Click to expand...

Fixing equipment I can see, but emergency hemostat, cutting pills, removing dressings? Really? Surely a Level One trauma center has dedicated, sterile tools for working around patients.
 
BenchmadeBoy said:
Fixing equipment I can see, but emergency hemostat, cutting pills, removing dressings? Really? Surely a Level One trauma center has dedicated, sterile tools for working around patients.
Click to expand...

Oh they do. But I use it in a pinch. The safety shears used for cutting dressings aren't sterile unless you take the time to give it a cavicide wipe. And I actually meant to put pill crushing. We have two pill crushers on the unit and it always seems somebody else has them. And I always make the mistake of lending my scissors, and rarely get them back when I need them. And now with hospitals being beholden to the almighty HCAHPS, resources are gonna get tighter then they already are.
 
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I carry a Victorinox Spirit on Paramedic duty.... I use it for all sorts of things; generally tightening parts about to fall off the ambulance.. ;)
 
I work as a Paramedic/Firefighter and I carry a Charge TTi every day. Gets used for everything. Mostly as a general work tool when I don't feel like fetching the tool box off the engine, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it like you describe in the OP.

I think people who don't work in the field tend to think that everything we use is sterile, when in reality, there are only a very few situations (short of surgery or IV work) which require sterile instruments. Clean is good enough for 90% of the medical procedures I do on a daily basis.
 
I carry a LM Wave every day on shift.

Not yesterday, but last day before, we had a guy in the basement who obviously passed out while ironing clothes after his blood sugar went somewhere north of 600. We needed to get him out the rear of the house because the front was impassable. However the back yard was enclosed by a chain link fence. Fire popped the padlock, only to discover it was also secured by a huge cable lock. The gate was not hung on a pivot, rather tied on with baling wire. The fire guy was able to snip one wire with his lineman pliers, but they were too thick for the other. Taa daa!! Wave to the rescue.

I feel the LM is a problem solver. It just sits quietly on my belt until I need it. Then it comes out, works like it should and goes back into its sheath. No fuss. Just solves the problem.
 
They won't let me carry anything with a blade where I work, not even a box cutter for those damn IV bag boxes that are so hard to rip open....ridiculous.
Street Samurai1978 said:
Was wondering if any medical professionals (doctors, nurses, EMT/paramedics) carry any multi-tools with them and what they use them for? I work in a level one traume center and I find all sorts of uses for my Charge TTI, from fixing broken suction units and other such equipment to cutting off dressings, serving as an emergency hemostat, milking/stripping tubings, cutting pills, crushing pills, clamping, etc. Not the most sterile thing in the world, but I always give it a good wipe with calvacide before and after use, if I have the time.
Click to expand...
 
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