Lifting & Moving Patients Flashcards
Most commonly used device to transport patients
Wheeled ambulance stretcher
A specially designed stretcher that can be rolled along the ground
Wheeled ambulance stretcher
Weight of wheel ambulance stretcher
40 to 145 lbs
The wheeled ambulance stretcher is generally not used to ___
Go up and down stairs or to other locations where the patient must be carried for any significant distance
The stretcher has a specific ___ end
Head end and foot
The stretcher has a strong, rectangular, tubular metal main frame to which ___
All of its other parts are attached
The stretcher should be pulled, pushed, and lifted only by ___
Its main frame or handles
A retractable guard rail is attached along the ___ of the stretcher
Central portion of the main frame
The guardrail on a stretcher is not a ___
Restraint device
Desired height of stretcher in the ambulance
12”
Stretcher height when standing up
32 to 26 inches
How to change stretcher height
The main frame must be slightly lifted to remove all weight from the undercarriage before it will fold, even if the control is pulled
On a stretcher, controls for elevating and lowering are located ___
At the foot end
The mattress on a stretcher is ___
Fluid resistant
How to secure the straps on the stretcher?
Head to toe
A long, flat board made of rigid, rectangular material
Backboard
Used to temporarily restrict spinal motion in supine patients with potential neck and back injuries
Backboard
Backboards can also be used to ___
Move patients out of awkward places
Backboard length
6 to 7 feet
Backboards are commonly used for patients who are found ___
Lying down
Use of backboards is being replaced with ___
Vacuum mattresses
Moving a patient should be done in ___ manner
An orderly, planned, and unhurried
The mechanical weight bearing base of the spinal column
The sacrum
The relationship between the body’s anatomic structures and the physical forces associated with lifting, moving, and carrying
Body mechanics
Lifting technique where the back is held upright, with legs bent, and the patient is lifted when the legs are straightened to raise the upper body and arms
Power lift
How far to spread the legs in a power lift
15”
When doing a power lift, the knees shouldn’t bend more than ___
90 degrees
Technique to lift a stretcher where the the grip is under the handle, with the palm facing up and the thumb extended
Power grip
How far apart should the hands be when lifting?
At least 10”
Never grasp a stretcher with the hand ___
Palm down over the handle
When you pull a patient who is on the ground, always ___
Kneel to minimize the distance that you will have to lean over
During pulling, extend your arms no more than ___
About 15 to 20 inches in front of your torso
Special bariatric techniques and equipment is required for patients who weight more than ___
350 lbs
___ of the body weight of a patient in the horizontal position is in the torso
68% to 78%
One person lifting at each side of a backboard
Diamond carry
When to use a stair chair
When you must carry a conscious patient up or down a flight of stairs or other significant incline, if their condition allows for a sitting position
Lightweight folding chair with a molded seat, adjustable safety straps, and fold-out handles at both the head and the feet
Stair chair
Minimum straps to use on the stair chair
A lap belt and two straps around the chest
What should a patient in a stair chair hold on to?
The chest straps
Flex at the hips, not the ___
Waist
A move in which the patient is dragged or pulled from a dangerous scene before assessment and care are provided
Emergency move
A technique to move a patient from a sitting position inside a vehicle to supine on a backboard in less than 1 minute when conditions do not allow for standard immobilization
Rapid extrication technique
If a patient who requires an emergency move is wearing a shirt with buttons, you should ___
Unbutton the top two
Time to apply a spinal immobilization device
6 to 8 minutes
Do not use the rapid extrication technique if ___
No urgency exists
If the patient is able to stand and ___ to the stretcher, it is safer to have them do so
Pivot
Number of responders required for the rapid extrication technique
3
One person drags and carries
- Front cradle
- Firefighter’s drag
- One-person walking assist
- Firefighter’s carry
- Pack-strap carry
Used for patients with no suspected spinal injury who are found lying supine
Direct ground lifts
Used for patient with no suspected extremity or spinal injuries who are supine or in a sitting position
Extremity lift
This lift may be especially helpful when the patient is in a very narrow space or there is not enough room for the patient and several EMTs to stand side by side
Extremity lift
Used to move a patient from a bed onto a stretcher
Draw sheet method
Stretcher that is in two horizontal halves that are joined together after placing under the patient
Scoop stretcher
Typical stretcher weight limit
650 lbs
Bariatric stretcher typical weight limit in the lowest position
1600 lbs
The Binder Lift has up ___ handles
25
The Binder Lift is wrapped around the ___
Patient’s torso
A stretcher with a strong, rectangular, tubular metal frame and rigid fabric stretched across it
Portable stretcher
Forms a rigid stretcher that conforms around the patient’s sides and does not extend beyond them
Flexible stretcher
Flexible stretchers are useful when?
The stretcher must be carried far or when the patient needs to be removed from a confined space
Certain ___ stretchers can also be used if the patient must be belayed or rappelled by ropes
Flexible
Fits snugly to the curvatures and contours of the body and limits pressure-point tenderness
Vacuum mattresses
Also called a stokes litter
Basket stretcher
Used to carry a patient across uneven terrain from a remote location that is inaccessible by ambulance or other vehicle
Basket stretcher
Used to transport a neonatal patient
Isolette
An Isolette is also called ___
An incubator
Keeps the neonatal patient warm with moistened air in a clean environment
Isolette
What does an isolette protects the neonatal patient from?
Noise, drafts, infection, and excess handling
