About the ICSD

> In 1966, the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences proclaimed that

accidental death and disability was, the neglected disease of modern society.

> In the late-70's early-80's the US Department of Transportation conducted a study, which focused

on the reasons and causes of debilitating outcomes from Trauma related injuries. The US-DOT findings

of a late-70's early-80's study noted that Trauma injuries continued to be, the principal public-health

problem in America.

> This 70's-80's US-DOT study also found and reported that:

* Every 4 minutes, someone in America died, or became disabled, from Trauma injuries.

Swimming accidents, falls, fires, and car crashes all take a horrific toll.

* Each year, Trauma injuries killed and disabled more Americans between the ages of 1 and 34

than all diseases combined, and was the leading cause of death for people younger than age 44.

* However, prompt and effective trauma care saves lives. When injured patients were treated

immediately by individuals who specialize in caring for the critically injured, the preventable-death

and disabling injuries rates dropped significantly.

* When victims are transported in ambulances to a specialized Trauma Center, their chances of

recovery improve even more substantially. Emergency medical care depends on having proper, and

sufficient, equipment and knowing how to use it.

> As a Fire Fighter-Paramedic, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it did not take long to become disenchanted

with the Cervical Stabilization devices most frequently being used, because none of them afforded, or

provided, total and complete stabilization and immobilization .

> In order to avoid having to use these devices, numerous field/street expedient things were tried and

employed:

1. First, several variations of a Rolled Blanket were used. The results were pitiful, at best.

2. Then came Rolled Towels. A single rolled towel was too small to be efficient, effective or practical.

3. Then two Towels, into one roll, was tried. That was too thick & bulky.

4. After rolling and taping one large, and one small towel, the two towels were then taped together, to

give you the configuration of the ICSD. Although somewhat effective it was far from optimal.

5. This "Rolled Towels" configuration worked much better than the other devices, however it still failed

to attain two requirements that had to be met in order to achieve optimal stabilization.

~~ Towels being soft did not provide firm and controlled stabilization. Towels being cloth failed to

prevent the person's head from sliding and moving once secured. Plastic was then wrapped around

the Rolled Towels. This prevented the person's head from sliding, but still lacked firmness.

~~ There had to be a way to achieve snug and secure stabilization. Optimal stabilization had not

been obtained, and never would, with Towels covered with plastic. This could, and would, only

be realized and accomplished with an Inflatable plastic device. Given this realization, in the

early 90's, the design and specs for the ICSD were developed, filed and registered, but never

developed for production.

> By 1997, the ICSD had pretty much been relegated to a great idea - long long ago, until when in, and/

or, around mid-1997, there surfaced a growing concern about an increase, and rise, in debilitating

outcomes from Trauma Related injuries. There were two factors cited:

* The first was the seeming increase in Mass Casualty Incidents, precipitated by a greater than

normal, and usual, number of natural disasters, and catastrophic events.

* The second was, or were, similar reasons as stated in the 70's-80's US-DOT Report and Findings.

> Thus was renewed the need to develop and distribute the ICSD, in order to get it into the hands of

Prehospital Emergency Medical Services Providers, for use on Trauma victims.

> Once committed to proceed with the ICSD, it was decided that the ICSD had to meet the following

requirements and criteria:

* It had to be an improvement over what was currnetly being used.

* It had to be constructed, and used, so that it would benefit the victims of Trauma.

* It had to be inexpensive.

* It had to be light-weight and compact when deflated.

* It had to be strong and durable when inflated.

* It had to be reusable, replacable, and/or Patient Chargable if left with a patient.

* It had to be EMS provider user friendly.

* It had to be simple and easy for EMS providers to use rapidly and effectively.

* It had to be able to be used and secured using no special spare and/or adjunct parts.

* It had to be able to fit and mold to individual head contours.

* It had to be capable of stabilizing and immobolizing the Clavical and Shoulders.

* It had to be clear and see-throughable.

* It had to be able to be left in place during the taking of X-rays.