That’s why Erie-based Code Kit PRO developed the Pedi-PRO, a kit that stores medical supplies, rolls into a package the size of a sleeping bag and unrolls into a hard surface for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Emergency medical technicians can store their tools in the Pedi-PRO, put it in an ambulance and take it out when necessary.
Having those supplies in one spot is an improvement over the storage systems ambulances have now mostly in tackle boxes and satchels, says Dr. Paul Malaspina of Code Kit PRO. “It’s like trying to find something real important at the airport in your luggage,” says Malaspina, a former paramedic who is now a trauma surgeon.
The Pedi-PRO is organized for optimum efficiency. For example, flashlights and endoscopes are stored near the patient’s head since that’s where they’re most likely to be needed.
Malaspina won this year’s InnovationErie: Design Competition, netting $10,000 and assistance in getting the Pedi-PRO to market.
The Pedi-PRO can support children who weigh up to 80 pounds, but Code Kit PRO plans to make an adult-sized version too.
Malaspina says it can also be used during disasters, like Hurricane Katrina or the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In that case, the kits can be stocked ahead of time with essentials like intravenous fluids, basic medications and iodine tablets.
“Park one of these at every airport and you’re ready,” he says.
Source: Dr. Paul Malaspina, Code Kit PRO
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen