TORSO REGION IMMOBILIZATION WITH ALPHA CRADLE FORMS

Jeffrey Vincent Kostich, President
Smithers Medical Products, Inc.
North Canton, Ohio

ALPHA CRADLE® PATIENT REPOSITIONING AND IMMOBILIZATION SYSTEMS:
HS2, HS3, AT2, AT3,  PT2, PT3, PHS2, PHS3, HS2M, HS2M-E, Mav
Smithers Medical Products, Inc. offers over 10 different anatomical forms for immobilization and repositioning of the torso region. These forms include our adult and pediatric head and shoulder forms, thorax forms, and our newer extended forms. These forms offer a wide assortment in the treatment of the torso region.  As with the other forms, it is important to keep the foam tight against the patient for the most effective customized form. When treating a patient AP/PA, do not hesitate to cut the desired treatment port to the width needed. Many times people hesitate to cut the port needed because it may seem so large that the medical professional wonders if the form will still be useful. But remember, it’s the sides of the form that reposition and immobilize the patient, not the base. When ports are cut in the base, remember to use a damp cloth and wipe the form off removing any particles of foam that may have collected. Use cloth or paper tape to cover the area of exposed foam. Be sure to index the form with a marker, corresponding to the form’s position with the lasers. This will assure that your form is in the same position on a daily basis relative to the isocenter. Comfortable patients, secure in a reproducible set up, that’s what Alpha Cradle® forms offer the patient, while giving you an easy to use tool to quickly replicate the daily set up and reduce movement errors.

ACMMII
When making forms on this area of the anatomy, do not place extra pieces of polystyrene inside the bag to increase the base durability. Instead, concentrate on making the sides of the form strong, durable and tight against the patient. As ports are usually cut in these forms for AP/PA treatment, the thin base is easily cut out from the form, often only requiring the use of a pair of scissors. Index the form to the corresponding laser mark with a marker. Remember to tape the edges of the cut out port to make the form comfortable for the patient (i.e. no sharp edges).