The vacuum mattress is an alternative to the use of a long spine board. Its advantages are:

• Comfort
• Being adaptable to all traumas (included spinal and femoral traumas).
• The patient is held more securely
• The patient is more easily transported short distances provided sufficient team members (typically six) are available, and in confined spaces compared to a conventional stretcher.
• Distributes pressure more equally on body surfaces, leading to lower risk for pressure ulcer formation compared to a long board

Its drawbacks include:

• Relatively fragile (useless unless a perfect vacuum is maintained).
• Increased cost relative to a traditional long spine board
• The time taken to evacuate the bag compared to readily available standard spinal board.