Chapter 8: Lifting and moving patients

Question 1

Select one

An emt may injure his or her back, even if it is straght, if the:
- Shoulder is aligned over the pelvis
- Hands are held close to the legs
- Back is bent forward at the hips

Answer 1

Back is bent forward at the hips

Question 2

Select one

As you and your partner are carrying a stable patient down a flight of stairs in a stair chair, you feel a sudden, sharp, pain in your lower back. You should:
- Reposition your hands and continue to move the patient.
- Guide your partner while moving the chair backwards
- Stop the move and request additional lifting assistance.
- Stop the move and have the patient walk down the stairs

Answer 2

Stop the move and request additional lifting assistance.

Question 3

Select one

In contrast to typical wheeled ambulance stretchers, features of a barriatric stretcher include:
- Two safety rails on both sides of the stretcher.
- A collapsible undercarriage.
- Weight capacity of up to 650 lb.
- Increased stability from a wider wheelbase.

Answer 3

Increased stability from a wider wheelbase.

Question 4

Select one

It is essencial that you ________ your equipment to prevent the spread of disease.
- Properly store
- Decontaminate
- Throw out
- Incinerate

Answer 4

Decontaminate

Question 5

Select one

The ________ is both the mechanical weight-bearing base of the spinal column and the fused central posterior section of the pelvic girdle.
- Coccyx
- Sacrum
- Ischium
- Thorax

Answer 5

Sacrum

Question 6

Select one

The MOST serious consequence of a poorly planned or rushed patient move is:
- Injurt to you or your patient.
- Causing patient anxiety or fear.
- Unnecessarily wasting time.
- Confusion among team members.

Answer 6

Injury to you or your patient

Question 7

Select one

The proper technique for using the power grip is to:
- Hold the handle with your fingers
- Rotate your palms down
- Lift with your palms up
- Position your hands about 6” apart

Answer 7

Lift with your palms up

Question 8

Select one

To facilitate a safe and coordinated move, the team leader should:
- Speak softly but clearly to avoid startling the patient.
- Never become involved in the move, ony direct the move
- Be positioned at the feet so the team can hear
- Use prepatory commands to initiate any moves

Answer 8

Use prepatory commands to initiate any moves.

Question 9

Select one

To minimize the risk of injuring yourself when liftin or moving a patient, you should:
- Avoid the use of log rolls or body drags
- Use a direct carry whenever possible
- Keep the weight as close to your body as possible
- Flex at the waist inside of the hips

Answer 9

Keep the weight as close to your body as possible

Question 10

select one

To protect a restrained patient and prevent him from using leverage to break free, the emt should secure _____.
- Only the patients torso
- One arm above the head
- Both arms above the head
- Both arms at the patients sides

Answer 10

Both arms at the patients sides

Question 11

Select one

Upon arriving at the scene of a motor vehicle crash, you find a single patient still seated in his car. There are no hazards. As you approach the vehicle, you note that the patient is semiconscious and has a large laceration to his forehead. You should:
- Apply a cervicle collar and quickly remove the patient with a clothes drag
- Apply a vest-style extrication device before attempting to move the patient.
- Direct your partner to apply manual in-line support of the patients head.
- Slide a long backboard under his buttocks and lay him sideways on the board.

Answer 11

Direct your partner to apply manual in-line support of the patients head

Question 12

Select one:

_____ safety depends on the use of proper lifting techniques and maintaining a proper hold when lifting or carrying apatient.
1. your
2. your teams
3. the patients
4. all of the above

Answer 12

4. All of the above

Question 13

select one

An urgent move would be required in which of the followiung circumstances?
A. If a patient has a normal level of consciousness
B. If the patient is complaining of neck pain
C. In extreme weather conditions
D. If a patient has normal vital signs

Answer 13

C. In extreme weather conditions

Question 14

Select one

You may injure your back if you lift:
A. With your back straight
B. Using a power lift technique
C. With the shoulder girdle anterior to the pelvis
D. Keeping the weight close to you

Answer 14

C. With the shoulder girdle anterior to the pelvis

Question 15

Select one

When lifting, you should:
A. Spread your legs past shoulder width
B. Lift a patient while reaching far in front of your torso
C. keep the weight that you are lifitng as close to your body as possible
D. use your back muscles by bending at the waist

Answer 15

C. Keep the weight that you are lifting as close to your body as possible

Question 16

Select one

When lifting a patient, proper technique involves which of the following?
A. Leaning forward over the patient
B. Avoid bending at the waist
C. Holding the wait away from your body
D. Keeping the legs and knees locked straight

Answer 16

B. Avoid bending at the waist

Question 17

Select one

In lifting with the palm down the weight is supported by the ________ rather than the palm.
A. Fingers
B. Forearm
C. Lower Back
D. Wrist

Answer 17

A. Fingers

Question 18

Select one

When you must carry a patient up or down a flight of stairs or other significant incline, use a ____________ if possible.
A. Backboard
B. Stair Chair
C. Stretcher
D. Short Backboard

Answer 18

B. Stair Chair

Question 19

Select one

Most of the patients weight will be distibuted on which part of the stretcher?
A. Head
B. Foot
C. Side
D. Center

Answer 19

A. Head

Question 20

Select one

A backboard is a device that provides support to patient who you suspect have all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Hip injuries
B. Pelvic injuries
C. Spinal injuries
D. Symptoms of a heart attack

Answer 20

D. Symptoms of a heart attack

Question 21

Select one

Which of the following team leader actions is NOT required to safely lift and move a patient?
A. Giving command of execution
B. Indicating where each team member is to be located
C. Giving an abreviated overview of the lifting and moving stages
D. Completing all documentation prior to moving the patient

Answer 21

D. Completing all documentation prior to moving the patient

Question 22

Select one

Special ____ stretchers are usually required to move any patient who weighs more than 650 lbs to an ambulance.
A. Orthopedic
B. Pediatric
C. Geriatric
D. Bariatric

Answer 22

D. Bariatric

Question 23

Select one

Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding the use of a stair chair?
A. Keep your back in a locked-in position
B. Lean back to help distribute the weight
C. Keep the patient’s weight and your arms as close to your body as possible
D. Flex at the hips, not at the waist

Answer 23

B. Lean back to help distribute the weight.

Question 24

Select one

When you use a body drag to move a patient:
A. Your back should always be locked in a slight curve
B. Twist so that the vertebrae can flex during the move
C. Concider hyperextending to gain more leverage
D. Drag the patient by the ankles

Answer 24

A. Your back should always be locked in a slight curve

Question 25

Select one

When pulling a patient, you should do which of the following:
A. Extend your arms no more than about 15 to 20 inches
B. Stagger your feet so that the force of pull will be distributed toward your dominant hand
C. Move both yourself and the patient simultaniously
D. Pull the patient in rapid bursts of movement

Answer 25

A. Extend your arms no more than about 15 to 20 inches

Question 26

Select one

When log rolling a patient, you should do which of the following:
A. Avoid kneeling too closely to the patients side
B. Hyperextending the back to reach completely across the patient
C. Refrain from using the belt loops or belt as a grab point
D. Use your shoulder muscles to help with the roll

Answer 26

D. Use your shoulders to help with the roll

Question 27

Select one

If the weight you are pushing is lower than your waist, you should push from:
A. The waist
B. A kneeling position
C. The shoulder
D. A squatting position

Answer 27

B. A kneeling position

Question 28

Select one

If you are alone and must remove an unconscious patient from a car, you should first remove the patient’s:
A. legs
B. head
C. Torso
D. Pelvis

Answer 28

A. Legs

Question 29

Select one

Situations in which you should use an emergency move include all of the following EXCEPT:
A. When fire, explosives, or hazardous materials are present
B. When the patient feels like he or she might pass out
C. When you are unable to gain access to others in a vehicle who need lifesaving care
D. When you are unable to protect the patient from other hazards

Answer 29

B. When the patient feels like he or she might pass out

Question 30

Select one

You can move a patieint on his or her back along the floor or ground using all of the following methods EXCEPT:
A. Pulling on the patients clothing in the neck and shoulder area
B. Placing the patient on a blanket, coat, or other item that can be pulled
C. Pulling the patient by the legs if they are the most accessible part
D. Placing your arms under the patients shoulders and through the armpits, and while grasping the patients arms, dragging the patient backward

Answer 30

C. Pulling the patient by the legs if they are the most accessible part

Question 31

Select one

The ____ is both the mechanical weight-bearing base of the spinal column and the fused central posterior section of the pelvic girdle.
A. Lumbar spine
B. Sacrum
C. Coccyx
D. Ileum

Answer 31

B. Sacrum

Question 32

Select one

Which part of the following is NOT an indication for use of the rapid extrication technique?
A. The patient is in severe pain
B. The patients condition cannot be properly assessed before being removed from the vehicle
C. The patient blocks access to another seriously injured patient
D. The vehicle or the scene is unsafe

Answer 32

A. The patient is in severe pain

Question 33

Seelct one

To avoid the strain of innecessary lifting and carrying, you should use _____ or assist an able patient to the stretcehr whenever possible.
A. The direct ground lift
B. The extremity lift
C. The draw sheet method
D. A scoop stretcher

Answer 33

C. the draw sheet method

Question 34

Select one

You should use a rigid ________, also called a stokes litter, to carry a patient across uneven terrain from a remote location that is inaccessible by ambulance or other vehicle.
A. Basket stretcher
B. Scoop stretcher
C. Molded backboard
D. Flotation device

Answer 34

A. Basket stretcher

Question 35

Short answer

List the five guidelines for carrying a patient on a stretcher.

Answer 35

1. Estimate the weight of both of the patient and the associated equipment to be lifted and guage the limitations of the teams ability.
2. Coordinate your movements with those of the other team members while constantly communicating with them.
3. Do not twist your body as you are carrying the patient.
4. Keep the weight that you are carrying as close to your body as possible while keeping your back in a locked-in position.
5. Always keep your back in a straight, upright position and lift without twisting.

Question 36

Short answer

List the nine different one-rescuer emergency moves.

Answer 36

1.Emergency clothes drag
2. Blanket drag
3. arm drag
4. arm to arm drag
5. Firefighters drag
6. Front cradle
7. One-person walking assist
8. Firefighters carry
9. Pack strap

Question 37

Short answer

List six situations where using a rapid extrication technique would be appropriate.

Answer 37

1. The vehicle or scene is unsafe.
2. Explosives or hazardous materials are on the scene.
3. There is a fire or danger of fire.
4. The patient cannot be properly assessed while in the car.
5. Patient has life threatening condition.
6. Patient blocks access to another patient.

Question 38

Short answer

List three guidelines for loading the stretcher into the ambulance

Answer 38

1. Make sure there are enough providers for sufficient lifting power.
2. Follow the manufactures directions for safe and proper use of the stretcher.
3. Make sure that all stretchers and patients are fully secured before you move the ambulance.

Question 39

Short answer

Identify the key rule of lifting

Answer 39

Always keep your back in a straight, upright position and lift without twisting

Question 40

Select one

Which of the following is true regarding the lift and moving or geriatric patients?
- They generally have no fear or anxiety when being transported.
- Many will require additional padding or support to transport comfortably.
- They tend to have more flexibility than younger patients
- They have less risk of skin tears or bruising than younger patients

Answer 40

B. Many will rewuire additional padding or support to transport coimfortably

Question 41

Select one

Bariatrics is:
- The branch of medicine concerned with the elderly.
- The branch of medicine concerned with the obese
- The branch of medicine concerned with infants
- The method used to assess blood pressure

Answer 41

B. The branch of medicine concerned with the obese

Question 42

True or false

A portable stretcher is typically a lightweight folding device that does not have the undercarriage and wheels of a true ambulance stretcher.

Answer 42

True

Question 43

True or false

The term power lift refers to a posture that is safe and helpful for EMT’s when they are lifting

Answer 43

True

Question 44

True or false

If you find that lifting a patient is a strain, try to move the patient to the ambulance as quickly as possible to minimize the possibility of back injury.

Answer 44

False

Question 45

True or false

It is not important that you and yoiur team use the correct lifting technique to lift a stretcher.

Answer 45

False

Question 46

True or false

One-person techniques for moving patients should be used only when immediate patient movement is neccessary due to life-threatening hazard and only one EMT is available.

Answer 46

True

Question 47

True or false

When carrying a patient down stairs or on an incline, make sure the stretcher is carried with the head end first.

Answer 47

False

Question 48

True or false

The rapid extrication technique os teh preferred technique to use on all sitting patients withe possible spinal injuries.

Answer 48

False

Question 49

True or false

It is unprofessional for you to discuss and plan a lift at the scene in front of the patient.

Answer 49

False

Question 50

True or false

Bariatrics is a medical specialty that deals with the care of the obese.

Answer 50

True

Question 51

True or false

An isolette is used to transport neonatal patients.

Answer 51

True

Question 52

True or false

The flexible stretcher is useful for moving patients through confined spaces

Answer 52

True

Question 53

True or false

Pneumatic stretchers qwew developed to decrease the risk for EMS provider back injuries

Answer 53

True

Question 54

True or false

Bariatric stretchers are the same as standard ambulance stretchers except for the added lifting capacity.

Answer 54

False

Question 55

Fill-in-the -blank

To avoid injury to you, the patient, or your partners, you will have to learn how to lift and carry the patient properly, using proper ______ ______ and a power grip.

Answer 55

Body Mechanics

Question 56

Fill-in-the -blank

The key rule of lifting is to always keep the back in a straight, ________ position and to lift without twisting.

Answer 56

Upright

Question 57

Fill-in-the -blank

The safest and most powerful way to lift, lifting by extending the properly placed flexed legs, is called a(n) _______ _______.

Answer 57

Power lift

Question 58

Fill-in-the -blank

The arm and hand have their greatest lifting strength when facing ________ up.

Answer 58

Palm

Question 59

Fill-in-the -blank

Be sure to pick up and carry the backboard with your back in the ____________ position.

Answer 59

Upright

Question 60

Fill-in-the -blank

During a body drag where you and your partner are on each side of the patient, you will have to alter the unusual pulling technique to prevent pulling ________ and producing adverse lateral leverage against your lower back.

Answer 60

Sideways

Question 61

Fill-in-the -blank

When you are rolling the wheeled ambulance stretcher, your back should be _____, straight, and untwisted.

Answer 61

Locked

Question 62

Fill-in-the -blank

A patient on a backboard or stretcher can be lifted and carried by four providers in a(n) ________ carry.

Answer 62

Diamond

Question 63

Fill-in-the -blank

Whenever a patient has been placed onto the stretcher, one EMT must hold the main frame to prevent _______.

Answer 63

Movement

Question 64

Fill-in-the -blank

The manual suppor and immobilization that you provide when using the rapid extrication technique produce a greater risk of ______ ______.

Answer 64

Spine movement

Question 65

Fill-in-the -blank

The ____ _____ _____ is used for patients with no suspected spinal injury who are found lying supine on the ground.

Answer 65

Direct ground lift

Question 66

Fill-in-the -blank

The _____ _____ may be especially helpful when the patient is in a very narrow space or when there is not enough room for the patient and a team of EMT’s tp stand side by side.

Answer 66

Extremity lift

Question 67

Fill-in-the -blank

The mattress on a stretcher must be ____ ____ so that it does not absorb any type of potentially infectious material, including water, blood, or other bodily fluids.

Answer 67

Fluid resistant

Question 68

Fill-in-the -blank

It is essencial that you ________ your equipment after use.

Answer 68

Decontaminate