SAM Splints--What They Are and Why You Want Them

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.

As you go about building your various kits for preparedness, and you hit websites and blogs for advice, and you tally up how much all this is going to cost, you begin to wonder about what you really need. Like me, you might suspect that some people are trying to sell you something in order to line their own pockets. Especially when the item in question is kind of a one-trick pony. 

When it comes to SAM splints, wonder no more. If you do a search on other uses for SAM splints, there is absolutely nothing. Usually, when you search for alternative purposes of any item, you'll come up with something. It might be ridiculous. There might be better ways. But not so with the SAM. It is for immobilizing bones and joints and nothing else. Of course, it can be used to splint every bone in the body, so I guess that should count for something.

SAM splints are the go-to for dealing with any kind of fracture or joint injury. They are malleable and conform easily to splint any bone or joint. They're washable and reusable. While they are sold in smaller sizes, you don't need to waste your money on the small ones because the 36-inch size can be cut down with trauma shears or even regular scissors to splint the shortest of bones. It can also be fashioned to make a cervical collar for neck injuries. No need to buy a separate C-collar for your medical kit that takes up enormous space and serves no other function. The 36-inch size does it all, except for splinting leg bones in large adults. Then you really need two 36-inch splints, one for each side.

With the instructions for basic configurations printed right on the foam, SAM splints are super easy to use. The foam makes them comfortable as well. Once molded and placed on the body, SAM splints are held in place with strips of cloth, like from a triangle bandage or T-shirt, plastic wrap, duct tape, or medical tape. However, keep in mind that adhesives may remove the foam from the splint.

SAM splints usually come in a rolled-up coil; however, if you unroll it and fold it flat, it may fit better in your medical kit.

There are lots of videos that show how to use a SAM splint on various injuries. They're a good idea to watch and familiarize yourself with how to use the splint, but honestly, it's pretty intuitive. You want the splint to conform to the body and immobilize the joint or fracture to prevent further injury and pain. When sizing and molding the splint, use your own same body part or the patient's uninjured counterpart to fashion and size the splint, and then apply it to the afflicted bone or joint. This will avoid causing unnecessary pain and perhaps further injury to the patient.

Links to related posts:
Triangle Bandages  


For further reading:
https://insidefirstaid.com/first-aid-kit/splinting-bone-fractures-with-a-sam-splint
https://www.sammedical.com/training/sam-splint-training
https://www.realfirstaid.co.uk/samsplints
https://www.youtube.com/user/sammedical/videos