Cot Straps: what do you use and how many?

DR_KSIDE

DR_KSIDE

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With our service we use the shoulder straps, chest, waist, and legs/feet. This debate has come up during several meetings and the use of certain straps have led to some pretty heated debate. Needless to say our Executive Board, has made it clear to use them all, but we still have some exceptions.

What do you use? Kind of curious to get a feel of what everyone else does.

Just to make it clear, the straps I am wondering about are the ones that you attached to the cot and stay with the cot.

Thanks
 
You really need to ask the cot manufacturer and your insurance provider. Our service used three straps, and did not use the shoulder ones. If I were a provider or service I'd require my medics to use three straps, including the shoulder harness.

We've had far too many patients tip over on the cot over the years. It's always a freak accident, but the patients who were more secured tended to suffer the least amount of injuries.
 
We generally use chest, waist, and legs. We're supposed to use the shoulder straps, but on most of our cots, the chest strap is not the dual adjustable one that makes them useable....
 
Chest, waist, legs here. We like others have and are supposed to use the shoulder (anyone know if it's a law or not?) but I've never seen them used, they're tucked up out of the way under the head of the cot.
 
in ma, its required that we use all five. nipples, navel, knees and shoulders. we also have to have this strap keeper mounted at the top to keep the shoulder straps from sliding off.
 
When I worked in California everyone just used a chest strap and a leg strap. As noted, Massachusetts uses 8 point restraints (5 straps).
 
JPINFV said:
When I worked in California everyone just used a chest strap and a leg strap. As noted, Massachusetts uses 8 point restraints (5 straps).
Click to expand...

Yup.

Sometimes people only use the chest strap and do not even bother with the leg strap.

Oh southern california..
 
PA: chest, waist, legs. Never seen a service in this area use shoulder straps.


Later!

--Coop
 
whoa, I've seen leaving the chest strap undone, but not the leg and waist. (Well, ok I've seen the leg not used, on really short pts)
 
it doesnt take a significant amount time to do em all up, so why not.
 
...because you can't connect something that isn't attached to the gurney.
 
KEVD18 said:
we also have to have this strap keeper mounted at the top to keep the shoulder straps from sliding off.
Click to expand...

The bane of my existence. Not only did my company need to dig some up (and make some) for the state inspection, now that they are installed, they make the straps a pain to fasten to patients (especially if there is a pillow).

In Israel, no ambulance in the country has more than one stap-- at the patient's waist.
 
If the manufacturer put it on and you bought it, you use it.

If you neutralize safety features the litter manufacturer is off the hook, and it sounds bad in court. If the law allows and you need to, take it off if it is still safe. Just make sure your undersheet is nonskid.
I think well secured pt's have a harder time tipping the cot over and may be better protected from the impact. We currently have leg-waist-shoulders but since we don't transport they're sort of a nuisance. In fact, I encourage people not to raise the litter.
 
Its all for looks anyways. Even with the shoulder straps, very rarely do you see them tight enough. Even if they are properly tightened, they will not poperly secure a supine patient to the stretcher. Basically, front end collision (real one) in an ambulance is almost always fatal for rear occupants. Side-impact occupants are not going to fare well at all either. The newer safety measures for providers are better, but are still flawed. I have only seen 2 styles that truely make it safer for providers - first is the side-load ambulances and second is ambulances you tend to see in Ireland and Europe that have bucket style tech seats that allow the provider to sit parallel to the patient (allowing him to face forward) with a 5-point harness restraint. The second limits capabilites quit a bit as they cannot carry a second patient (the ones I've seen anyways)

To answer the question though, most ambulances in NE have the shoulder straps, and like Kev said at least MA mandates it. NH & ME uses them as well, not sure if mandated though.
 
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