Stabilization Kits
Stabilization kits are a most important part of Alcor equipment. These are kits
that are shipped ahead whenever a member may need a stand-by and contain
the medications and equipment needed stabilize and transport a member in
the event of his legal death. Some of them are prepositioned with local and
regional team leaders, giving them the ability to operate independently and
saving us the time of shipping in the event of an emergency.
We are implementing an overhaul of our stabilization kits. It has involved
scrutinizing every piece of gear in the kits, and reorganizing the way
each of the separate boxes are organized. (There are seven total for field
deployment presently.) In reviewing the equipment and supplies, the amount
of redundancy, the deployment by function (airway, blood washout,
medications, etc.) we have determined that there is significant
consolidation that can be done. Our upcoming stabilization kits are being
reduced to four containers, still appropriate for airline travel.
A prototype of the first three boxes was assembled by Michelle Fry, and
we’re lacking only to test them in a realistic scenario or standby
situation. Once tested for completeness, the new kits can be assembled for
deployment.
As part of preparing these kits for deployment in all the regions, we’ve
begun the process of developing comprehensive inventories, with price
structure and supplier information, as part of our internal inventory and
cash flow management. This includes knowing what consumable supplies will
be used and what capital investment is required in each part of the kit.
Maintaining the stabilization kits is not easy, when kits get shipped out
at different times, medications have varied dates of expiration, and new
equipment or supplies get added to the protocol. We’re hoping that by
starting all the regions out with fresh, and identical, kits, our
inventory management will be both more efficient and more effective for
readiness and clinical use.
This project is having an additional benefit, in that it helps with the
development of an outline for the new stabilization manual that we hope to
begin writing next year.
Training Update
Since the last report, Michelle Fry held a training session in northern
California. Course curriculum in both places included our standard
biohazard and communicable disease lecture, airway management (including
Combi-tube), medications, intraosseous IV placement training, and manual
cardiopulmonary support practice.
Our next stabilization training session will be held in Boca Raton,
Florida in January 2007. For more information, contact dbora@alcor.org.
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