Having an emergency kit with medical devices on hand is important - not just for severe, life-threatening situations. Katie Contreras, a Training Lieutenant and EMT for San Marcos Hays County, was off-duty playing football when she suffered from a minor but painful injury. She recalls the incident:

“I play for the Austin Outlaws-- a semi-professional women's football team. We were in the playoffs against the Houston Power team. I was playing against their cornerback, and my finger got stuck in her jersey. We thought it was a jammed finger, so I buddy-taped it and then went back in to play.

A few hours later, I went to a local emergency room to check it out. A comminuted fracture (a break or splinter of the bone into more than two fragments) was shown; however, because one of the bone chips was underneath the knuckle, they opted not to splint it.

When I got home from the hospital later that night, I felt like my finger was unsupported and unstable so I reached for my SAM® Finger Splint in one of my home emergency kits. Compared to other devices I’ve used in the past, SAM® Splints just work better because they are adjustable depending on the type of injury. It has many more uses that it’s good for.

Since my injury happened on a Saturday, I had to wait until Monday before I could get in to see my orthopedic doctor. That means my finger would’ve been unsplinted for two full days -- having the SAM® Finger Splint on helped it to feel supported until I could see my doctor.”