I work the bari car in my city and my partner and I were discussing... We only have 3 bariatric rigs in my city and there are times when bariatric patients have to wait for a rig to clear the hospital. With our nation's growing waistlines, how long until you think ambulances with normal sized stretchers will be the specialty cars?
Growing bariatric population
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fast65
Doogie Howser FP-C
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I'm gonna hope that that never happens, but if it does, I imagine it will be a long way down the road. Honestly though, it's a situation that I don't actual see happening. As a nation it seems we're starting to transition into addressing obesity (at least childhood obesity) a little more aggressively, so hopefully we can prevent such a thing from happening.
VCEMT
Forum Captain
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That's a lot of 'em. Wow, I don't even remember the last time I saw one being used. Then again, there is only one or two in the county.
You'd think, those hippie space muffins up there would all be into health.
fast65
Doogie Howser FP-C
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It's the rain, it causes them to swell. That's the cause of the bariatric population.
Hahaha It's funny, because on the whole Seattle has a very fit population.
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We have 1 bariatric unit for a city that totals to around 750k+ including the outlying areas.
It's used daily but only once, maybe twice...
It's used daily but only once, maybe twice...
mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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Is this thread's title a pun? If so, good one.
The rare 500 pounder is more than made up for by the frequent 300-plus pounders lodged at the end of a narrow crooked hall; atop a slippery marble staircase, tiny landings with hot steam radiators; or bedrooms or toilets with 20 inch doors.
The rare 500 pounder is more than made up for by the frequent 300-plus pounders lodged at the end of a narrow crooked hall; atop a slippery marble staircase, tiny landings with hot steam radiators; or bedrooms or toilets with 20 inch doors.
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We have "shamu sheets" for those pts haha.
mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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Sidebar: post-bariatric surgery patients.
Over 10,000 Roux-en-Y's and lap-bandings a year in the USA, and they have special medical needs, especially the first year post-op.
Over 10,000 Roux-en-Y's and lap-bandings a year in the USA, and they have special medical needs, especially the first year post-op.
Sasha
Forum Chief
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I just hope the local "fatty" wagon is available the next time my motorcycle breaks down and needs a ride
Healthcare should not involve a winch.
Unfortunately sometimes it does. And what's really sad is that we as health care providers usually deem them less worthy of our respect because they're morbidly obese.
They're still people. I do it too, I admit. I grumble when I see "LBS" (our term for the bariatric stretcher, means large body surface.) on the dispatch. But it really is unfortunate. They haven't lost their humanity and there are patients who fit into the LBS category because of legitimate medical problems, including food addiction.
We don't appreciate the struggles that those people go through. How can they battle an addiction when what they are addicted to is literally needed to live? It's not like alcohol, heroin, oxy, etc that people can be completely clean from. It's a constant struggle, especially when people are raised to clean their plates no matter what, because there are starving kids in Ghana.. and oh stop crying, here's a lollipop!
Sorry to get off on a tangent, but I just think that as a whole the "Fluffy" patients get disrespected and it really ticks me off.
Anjel
Forum Angel
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We don't have any special trucks.
We have 3 or 4 Bariatric stretchers that fit just fine in our regular trucks. If we need the stretcher we go to the station, grab it, and head to our call.
The problem I have is that it requires 4 people to lift safely, and we usually only get three.
Which caused me to hurt my shoulder pretty bad last week.
We have 3 or 4 Bariatric stretchers that fit just fine in our regular trucks. If we need the stretcher we go to the station, grab it, and head to our call.
The problem I have is that it requires 4 people to lift safely, and we usually only get three.
Which caused me to hurt my shoulder pretty bad last week.
We have one available on each shift, but it's maybe once a week we actually Have to use it. We have one crew that calls for it just so they don't have to lift some of the "border line" patients. It's not really a big issue around here, yet atleast. More 300-450lbs than anything.
Also, has anyone pointed one the slightly ironic title of this thread?
Also, has anyone pointed one the slightly ironic title of this thread?
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I just hope the local "fatty" wagon is available the next time my motorcycle breaks down and needs a ride
Healthcare should not involve a winch.
And why not exactly? I think we have a serious obesity crisis on our hands in this country right now, and the healthcare system needs to prepare to deal with it. Obesity is a medical condition, we transport people with medical conditions. I would much rather save my back and winch the patient up a ramp into my ambulance then screw up my body trying to lift the cot in.
We don't have a bariatric unit per say, just a Ferno stretcher with an extra wide mattress and associated components. There is also one of those "fat girdles" on every ambulance to assist with getting the siderails up for calls when the LBS is not present. With that and some 9 foots we can usually get the patient to the ED in some comfort. We get another truck for a lift assist on any bariatric transfer as well. But still, four people doesn't necessarily save you. If one person isn't lifting as much and you try and compensate for them, it's pretty easy to hurt yourself. A ramp would be lovely, thanks very much.
Many healthcare facilities aren't equipped for larger individuals either, which is equally better. I took a patient to a local pain clinic and the staff was forced to see him the kitchen because the stretcher could not fit in any other room.
It's so true! and I don't know about your fat patients, but every 400 pounder that I transport is naked! Always naked.
We've dubbed our riggs Orca 1 and Moby 1
LukaPL
Forum Probie
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We have barbaric cots in normal rigs and it depends on the crew chief how many extra people he needs. If we're to busy and not enough people to lift we call fd. Worst scenario is when we have to carry >400 lb patient on the tarp (Greenpeace him) on the narrow hall or stairs
bcemr
Forum Crew Member
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One of my questions has always been how will we care for a growing and aging population? Medications are only holding a lot of issues at bay. With the biggest section of population about to retire and get really large - how are we going to handle that?
10-15 years we're going to see increased need I think.
10-15 years we're going to see increased need I think.
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Ours is a standard unit, it just has a winch and two ramps stored onboard so we don't risk hurting ourselves. Sorry about your shoulder :sad: