Eddy Vershilovsky

EMT & FORMER MILITARY MEDIC

I HAD THE SAM XT IN MY GEAR BY CHANCE – THE STANDARD TOURNIQUET WAS TOO SMALL TO ACCOMMODATE THE PATIENT’S LIMB.

October 19, 2020

PEDESTRIAN SAVED BY SPEED OF SAM XT

A former combat military medic and an EMT for 13 years, Eddy Vershilovsky happened to be off-duty when a female pedestrian was severely injured after being hit by a vehicle. Now, a volunteer paramedic who works on trauma and pressure control, Eddy recalls the incident:

“She was unconscious upon arrival, with trauma to her chest, pelvis and right leg; and had active bleeding from her right knee. We immediately loaded the woman onto an ambulance that arrived shortly after, to a safer distance from the busy road. I saw that she would need hemorrhage control right away because bleeding was profuse and she was going into shock - she was pale, and either in cardiac arrest or close to it.

In Israel, silicone tourniquets are commonly used for bleeding injuries, which are typically effective; however, because it uses silicone material, you have to carefully stretch it to work it around a limb every revolution and do so without it slipping out of place. And, sometimes it doesn’t work around larger limbs. In this incident, the silicone tourniquet was too small to accommodate the patient’s limb. So I used the SAM XT-- I had it on me by chance. The SAM XT not only fit, but was a lot faster to apply. I just dropped the SAM XT around the patient’s leg, twisted the handle maybe once or twice, and secured it in place to stop the bleeding. It was really a great experience.

What impressed me most about the SAM XT was the speed of application and the speed of the hem control. I actually saw the bleeding diminish and then stop in a matter of seconds.”

AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU

MEASURE THE DEVICE SIMPLY BY IF IT

WORKED OR NOT. SAM XT WORKED.

- Eddy Vershilovsky

I used to be a combat medic in the military. It was natural to switch to civilian EMS; I went to university to finish my emergency medic degrees. I am a volunteer paramedic now, but I was an EMT for 13 years.

Now, I work with trauma and pressure control. I always carry hemorrhage control devices provided by my volunteer organization. I also carry a SAM XT when off-duty.

At the end of the day, you measure the device simply by if it worked or not. SAM XT worked.

WHAT IMPRESSED ME MOST ABOUT THE SAM XT WAS THE SPEED

- Eddy Vershilovsky

3 THINGS TO KNOW FROM EDDY

01 01

Looking back at 13 years of seeing patients, it’s important for everyone to learn bleeding control methods because bleeding injuries can happen to anyone - it’s not only the obvious things we think about, such as car accidents or active shooters. It can be caused by something as simple as just slicing bread and cutting yourself badly. People panic when they see bleeding, but really, it’ll stop if you can manage to stop it-- and you don’t need to be a doctor for that.

02 02

The time it can take for death to occur due to traumatic bleeding is only a few minutes. Learning quick bleeding control techniques can make all the difference.

03 03

The SAM XT Tourniquet differs from other windlass tourniquets in that it features an auto-lock system that allows for instant tightening of the constricting band to the proper tension prior to engaging the windlass. This saves time and ensures effective occlusion of blood flow when pressure is applied with the windlass.

SAM SPLINT

Colter Hansen

FATHER & OUTDOORSMAN

Emergency situations can happen in a flash-- just ask father and SAM Medical customer Colter Hansen. He and his family were in the midst of an adventurous tour across the U.S.-- 50 states in 50 weeks-- when a sudden accidental injury occurred to his young daughter.

Officer Lorne Juday

BIG RAPIDS DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY

There are many instances in which severe blood loss can pose life threatening outcomes. In this case, Police Officer Lorne Juday with Big Rapids Dept. of Public Safety was dispatched for a possible suicide attempt.

Ian Six

EMT & FORMER MARINE

A former Marine, Ian Six was part of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rescue team that was called to a metal scrap yard where a man had slipped on a conveyor belt and entrapped his leg between the gears.