# Stretcher Life Span



## MMiz (Dec 1, 2013)

Another thread got me thinking.  I've read that the Stryker Power-Pro XT life span is only seven years.

With the first PowerPro cots introduced in 2006, right about now I would imagine a lot of units are reading the end of their life span.

It is my understanding that a traditional Stryker cot has a similar life span.

What do you do after seven years?  Do you buy a new cot every time you buy/remount an ambulance?


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## Bullets (Dec 1, 2013)

Wait seriously?

We have a Ferno 35-A that is original to our ambulance, which is a 1995. The thing is in great condition

We are going to buy a new ambulance this year and were looking at the stryker, maybe we will stick with the old 35-A


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## DesertMedic66 (Dec 1, 2013)

Stryker will only do maintenance on the gurneys for 5-10 years (I can't remember the exact number of years) after the gurney was made. So for most places it means replacing them. 

We have been in the process for the last couple of years of switching our whole fleet over to Powers but we are maybe a little more than halfway there. 

The gurneys we have at my college are all donated (tax write off) after their time was up in the field so they are 10+ years old aside from the 1 power pro we just bought.


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## Tigger (Dec 1, 2013)

Several of our Strykers are ten plus years old. They work just fine, and are serviced by our medical repair people. I wish they were power, but at least they work properly.


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## unleashedfury (Dec 1, 2013)

MMiz said:


> Another thread got me thinking.  I've read that the Stryker Power-Pro XT life span is only seven years.
> 
> With the first PowerPro cots introduced in 2006, right about now I would imagine a lot of units are reading the end of their life span.
> 
> ...



Not sure about he PowerPro Cots, I'm guessing the main concern would be battery life and motor life. but we have 10(+) yr old litters, with no issues, 3 strykers one Ferno, they are serviced annualy along with our stairchairs,


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## DrParasite (Dec 1, 2013)

former EMS agency still used two man stretchers.  probably from the 80s.  I think they just upgraded to 1 1/2 man cots (in the past 5 years).

I'm pretty sure we use them until they break. Then we fix them until they break again.  And then we fix them.  it's a really vicious cycle.

I didn't know they had service life.  I don't think we ever take them out of service for usage life, unless they are broken and unfixable.


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## NomadicMedic (Dec 1, 2013)

There's a big difference between fixing them and having then repaired/serviced by an authorized service provider. 

Drop a patient due to "stretcher malfunction". When your maintenance records are requested and you have none, you might as well just open the checkbook. 

In today's litigious world, not following manufacturer recommendations on service life and certified maintenance is a fools errand.


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## medicdan (Dec 1, 2013)

DEmedic said:


> There's a big difference between fixing them and having then repaired/serviced by an authorized service provider.
> 
> Drop a patient due to "stretcher malfunction". When your maintenance records are requested and you have none, you might as well just open the checkbook.
> 
> In today's litigious world, not following manufacturer recommendations on service life and certified maintenance is a fools errand.



X2. My state has become focused on preventable stretcher I injuries and maintenance is a big part of that. Its my understanding that a well maintained manual stretcher can last indefinitely.


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## mycrofft (Dec 1, 2013)

*Ambulance LITTER obsolesence*

We used to have a thirty year old (circa 1973), two-man Ferno-Washington which worked fine (until I broke it moving office furniture), and some 1993 similar F-W's (unpowered of course). The new ones were next to impossible to drop *all* the way down. The old one was lighter and had the same weigh rating. 

HOWEVER…if one paid attention to fine details and hints, some aspects of the older one indicated it had undergone fatigue and either needed spare parts, or replacement. An example of art over science.

Aluminum is fairly easy to spot this sort of wear and tear. I don't know about fiberglass or other composite materials. Maybe there is fear that there are undetectable stress damages. Maybe truer is a fear they will lose revenues if ambulance litters start lasting too long.

Do they shootcan the whole litter, or just the frame? Do they include used or remanufactured parts in new or "refurb" units for sale? Can you just replace the frame and drive train or ??


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## Kevinf (Dec 1, 2013)

I wonder if any manufacturer is brave enough to make a stretcher out of carbon fiber... just don't hit the door too hard on the way out and you should be fine. 

(I have seen a scoop stretcher made of carbon fiber)


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## DrParasite (Dec 1, 2013)

DEmedic said:


> Drop a patient due to "stretcher malfunction". When your maintenance records are requested and you have none, you might as well just open the checkbook.


please cite one case involving a stretcher malfunction, where this actually happened, and since the accused didn't have maintenance records, the plaintiffs were awarded punitive damages.  

I'm not saying you are wrong in theory, but I bet you can't.  It's like the "got to backboard everyone, or else you should just open your checkbook" that has infiltrated EMS; someone suggested it, and the theory was sound, so you better do it or else you are going to lose in court.


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## abckidsmom (Dec 1, 2013)

DrParasite said:


> please cite one case involving a stretcher malfunction, where this actually happened, and since the accused didn't have maintenance records, the plaintiffs were awarded punitive damages.
> 
> I'm not saying you are wrong in theory, but I bet you can't.  It's like the "got to backboard everyone, or else you should just open your checkbook" that has infiltrated EMS; someone suggested it, and the theory was sound, so you better do it or else you are going to lose in court.



In my experience, it doesn't matter.  Any time the patient hits the ground it's checkbook time.

I personally dropped a patient out of failure to communicate with my partner, and it was epic checkbook time, and the other ones I've been around for were the same.  

I think it's better to just hyperfocus on safety during moves and you'll do better.  

We run with the non-power strykers that were new in the mid-90s.  I love them, and they don't receive any maintenance that I'm aware of.


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## Tigger (Dec 1, 2013)

DrParasite said:


> please cite one case involving a stretcher malfunction, where this actually happened, and since the accused didn't have maintenance records, the plaintiffs were awarded punitive damages.
> 
> I'm not saying you are wrong in theory, but I bet you can't.  It's like the "got to backboard everyone, or else you should just open your checkbook" that has infiltrated EMS; someone suggested it, and the theory was sound, so you better do it or else you are going to lose in court.



Most of these are settled out of court, so I doubt that's possible. 

And realistically, damages are going to be awarded not because of a lack of records but rather a lack of maintenance that contributed to the accident. The records are an important defense.


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## richardharris908 (Dec 7, 2013)

That's good!!!


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