Avalanche airbag post-burial active deflation — The ability to create an air pocket to delay asphyxiation and prolong survival

McIntosh, Scott; Little, Colin; Seibert, Thomas; Polukoff, Natalya E; Grissom, Colin K.

doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2019.11.023

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The presence of an air pocket is a positive prognostic factor for survival of victims buried for !15 min. 6,22,29 In our study, victims with an air pocket had a significantly higher survival rate. Although the presence of an air pocket might be a positive survival marker, assessing for an air pocket during extrication of the victim is challenging, limiting clinical use.…”

Section: Description Of the Survivorssupporting

confidence: 45%

Survival probability in avalanche victims with long burial (≥60 min): A retrospective study

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: The survival of completely buried victims in an avalanche mainly depends on burial duration. Knowledge is limited about survival probability after 60 min of complete burial. Aim:We aimed to study the survival probability and prehospital characteristics of avalanche victims with long burial durations. Methods:We retrospectively included all completely buried avalanche victims with a burial duration of !60 min between 1997 and 2018 in Switzerland.Data were extracted from the registry of the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research and the prehospital medical records of the physicianstaffed helicopter emergency medical services. Avalanche victims buried for !24 h or with an unknown survival status were excluded. Survival probability was estimated by using the non-parametric AyerÀTurnbull method and logistic regression. The primary outcome was survival probability.Results: We identified 140 avalanche victims with a burial duration of !60 min, of whom 27 (19%) survived. Survival probability shows a slight decrease with increasing burial duration (23% after 60 min, to <6% after 1400 min, p = 0.13). Burial depth was deeper for those who died (100 cm vs 70 cm, p = 0.008). None of the survivors sustained CA during the prehospital phase. Conclusions:The overall survival rate of 19% for completely buried avalanche victims with a long burial duration illustrates the importance of continuing rescue efforts. Avalanche victims in CA after long burial duration without obstructed airway, frozen body or obvious lethal trauma should be considered to be in hypothermic CA, with initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and an evaluation for rewarming with extracorporeal life support.

show abstract

Section: Description Of the Survivorssupporting

confidence: 45%

Survival probability in avalanche victims with long burial (≥60 min): A retrospective study

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…89 A small study suggested an airbag that deflates after burial might be useful to prevent nonavalache snow burial asphyxia. 93…”

Section: Nonavalanche Snow Burialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Avalanche and Nonavalanche Snow Burial Accidents: 2024 Update

Van Tilburg,

Paal,

Strapazzon

et al. 2023

Wilderness & Environmental Medicine

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

To provide guidance to the general public, clinicians, and avalanche professionals about best practices, the Wilderness Medical Society convened an expert panel to revise the evidence-based guidelines for the prevention, rescue, and resuscitation of avalanche and nonavalanche snow burial victims. The original panel authored the Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Avalanche and Nonavalanche Snow Burial Accidents in 2017. A second panel was convened to update these guidelines and make recommendations based on quality of supporting evidence.

show abstract

“…Thirteen male volunteers participated in the study, eleven were included in the final analysis. The number of participants was selected as a standard number of subjects included in published studies with a similar scope and design 1 – 4 , 6 , 7 , 17 – 19 . All eligible volunteers were members of the Czech Armed Forces and students at the Military Department of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University in Prague.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A number of outdoor breathing trials with healthy volunteers has been conducted in order to investigate factors affecting the survival of victims covered with avalanche snow 1 – 7 . The main research has been focused on the gas exchange occurring in the air contained within the snow 1 , 3 – 6 and the role of an ‘air pocket’ in gas exchange 1 – 3 , 7 . This research is fundamental for development of the international resuscitation guidelines 8 , 9 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perlite is a suitable model material for experiments investigating breathing in high density snow

Roubík

Sýkora

Sieger

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Outdoor breathing trials with simulated avalanche snow are fundamental for the research of the gas exchange under avalanche snow, which supports the development of the international resuscitation guidelines. However, these studies have to face numerous problems, including unstable weather and variable snow properties. This pilot study examines a mineral material perlite as a potential snow model for studies of ventilation and gas exchange parameters. Thirteen male subjects underwent three breathing phases—into snow, wet perlite and dry perlite. The resulting trends of gas exchange parameters in all tested materials were similar and when there was a significant difference observed, the trends in the parameters for high density snow used in the study lay in between the trends in dry and wet perlite. These findings, together with its stability and accessibility year-round, make perlite a potential avalanche snow model material. Perlite seems suitable especially for simulation and preparation of breathing trials assessing gas exchange under avalanche snow, and potentially for testing of new avalanche safety equipment before their validation in real snow.The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on January 22, 2018; the registration number is NCT03413878.

show abstract

Avalanche airbag post-burial active deflation — The ability to create an air pocket to delay asphyxiation and prolong survival

Cited by 13 publications

References 11 publications

Survival probability in avalanche victims with long burial (≥60 min): A retrospective study

Survival probability in avalanche victims with long burial (≥60 min): A retrospective study

Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Avalanche and Nonavalanche Snow Burial Accidents: 2024 Update

Perlite is a suitable model material for experiments investigating breathing in high density snow

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Avalanche airbag post-burial active deflation — The ability to create an air pocket to delay asphyxiation and prolong survival

Cited by 13 publications

References 11 publications

Survival probability in avalanche victims with long burial (≥60 min): A retrospective study

Survival probability in avalanche victims with long burial (≥60 min): A retrospective study

Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Avalanche and Nonavalanche Snow Burial Accidents: 2024 Update

Perlite is a suitable model material for experiments investigating breathing in high density snow

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Survival probability in avalanche victims with long burial (≥60 min): A retrospective study

Survival probability in avalanche victims with long burial (≥60 min): A retrospective study