By Scott M. Bruner
EMS1 Product Editor
EMTs are well versed in the importance of being able to treat patients as quickly and efficiently as possible. For trauma patients, this can be especially true, as immediate critical care is essential. ES Equipment’s S-CUT is a surgical cutter, designed to save time by removing a patient’s clothes as quickly as possible.
“Unlike surgical scissors, the S-CUT can cut clothing away in seconds instead of minutes,” said Michael Flynn, general marketing and sales manager for Mjardsjo and Associates LLS, the North American distributors for ES Equipment AB. “Those seconds can save a life.”
The S-CUT blade is made from surgical steel, with a polymer hygiene shield. It was invented by Swedish paramedic Bjorn Ahlen, a 20-year paramedic veteran, who had grown frustrated with having to use surgical scissors to cut clothes. He designed the S-CUT to cut nearly every type of garment, and to do it without the multiple cuts that scissors often require. It made its debut appearance at the EMS Today show in Baltimore.
“With the S-CUT, you can cut the T-shirt, the over shirt, you can cut from the collar across the torso, past the belt, past the pants, and through the boots, all in one cut…It’s that sharp,” Flynn said.
A study performed by the Trauma Center in Gothenburg, Sweden, found it was significantly faster than scissors and did not require muscle force to cut coarser clothing. It also revealed that full body assessments were able to begin sooner using an S-CUT.
Another advantage of the S-CUT is its durability. Only 1/6th of the blade is used when cutting, and when that portion of the blade becomes dull, it can be rotated to another of the six positions. Flynn estimates that each section of the blade can be used anywhere from 20-100 uses before being needed to be rotated.
It can also withstand up to 275 degrees, making it suitable for sterilization.
The S-CUT comes in three models, the 501, the 601 and the 701. All use the same rotating steel blade. The 601 S-CUT is the standard model, while the 501 is a larger version for EMTs and firefighters wearing heavy gloves. The 701 is the same as the 601 but does not feature an extended blade that can be used for puncturing.
The 601 retails for $195, the 501 is $249, and the 701 is $179.
The S-CUT was released on Jan. 1 in the US, with its formal rollout at the EMS Today show in Baltimore in March. There are 5,000 of the S-CUTs in use in Europe and, while despite only being available for two months, 1,000 in circulation in the states.
“The reception we’ve received on the product has been awesome. EMTs are especially enamored at the speed of the S-CUT,” Flynn said.
For more information on the S-CUT, visit http://www.s-cut.us.com or via e-mail at michael.flynn@s-cut.us.com.