How do you get the patients into the ambulance?

How do you move (lift) patients into the ambulance?

  • We use a mechanical device to do it (which one?)

    Votes: 6 12.8%

  • We use muscle power; I have no problem with it.

    Votes: 25 53.2%

  • We use muscle power; but I wish we had some kind of device instead

    Votes: 18 38.3%

  • Other - please explain

    Votes: 2 4.3%
  • Total voters
    47
  • Poll closed .
Do you lower the gurney all the way? then put them on? or do you lower it half way and lift them to the gurney?
 
WuLabsWuTecH said:
We have fernos, so we just push it in. The landing gear retracts as it comes in. We generally run 3 man crews but even with two guys there is almost never a patient too heavy to get into the truck this way. The limiting step is usually getting the pt onto the cot. Most of them can stand to some degree so we support their weight and pivot them into the stretcher-chair. If they are too big and can't stand and are lying on the ground, we can put the stretcher all the way to the ground and kinda just roll them onto it or a backboard while we wait for our engine to get there to help.

I dislike the stryker power cots. They are good for IFT, but in the field, they are more trouble than they are worth. First you have to support the weight while the landing gear retracts. Second, in the field, they can't go to chair mode so pivitoting someone is out of the question. Third, when all the way down, they are still about 6-9 inches off the ground so someone on the ground still needs to be lifted that high. And 4th, when you are in rough terrain, you gotta pick up the cot, and with all of that gear on it it adds at elast 75 lbs if not more.
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This...
plus the added consideration that anything mechanical can fail, and will always do so at the most inopportune time.
 
Getting the patient into the ambulance is the easy part. Getting the patient onto the stretcher, and getting the stretcher from the house to the ambulance is often the more complicated bit.
 
EMSLaw said:
Getting the patient into the ambulance is the easy part. Getting the patient onto the stretcher, and getting the stretcher from the house to the ambulance is often the more complicated bit.
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What about a device similar to the Hovermat, but it inflates to a higher level allowing you to slide the patient to the gurney, similar to a bed. (Or airbed)

Oh, it seems they have this already: http://www.hovermatt.com/hoverJack
 
WuLabsWuTecH said:
I dislike the stryker power cots. They are good for IFT, but in the field, they are more trouble than they are worth. First you have to support the weight while the landing gear retracts. Second, in the field, they can't go to chair mode so pivitoting someone is out of the question. Third, when all the way down, they are still about 6-9 inches off the ground so someone on the ground still needs to be lifted that high. And 4th, when you are in rough terrain, you gotta pick up the cot, and with all of that gear on it it adds at elast 75 lbs if not more.
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1. Ever heard of a fast drop on a power pro? Trick of the trade ;) not much help for on the way in but your partner can help the cot out on the way up and it's as quick as any other cot I've seen.

2. Why can't you pivot them? Just one extra step...pivot them so they are perpendicular to the gurney.

3. Fine I won't argue with that but I'm spoiled with scoop stretchers and fire crews on any priority call or possible bariatric call ;)

4. What cot don't you have to carry over rough terrain? If it really is that heavy use a scoop or board and carry the pt across the terrain to the cot.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I feel like it works just fine for 911.
 
NVRob said:
1. Ever heard of a fast drop on a power pro? Trick of the trade ;) not much help for on the way in but your partner can help the cot out on the way up and it's as quick as any other cot I've seen.

2. Why can't you pivot them? Just one extra step...pivot them so they are perpendicular to the gurney.

3. Fine I won't argue with that but I'm spoiled with scoop stretchers and fire crews on any priority call or possible bariatric call ;)

4. What cot don't you have to carry over rough terrain? If it really is that heavy use a scoop or board and carry the pt across the terrain to the cot.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I feel like it works just fine for 911.
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What's this fast drop you speak of?
 
exodus said:
What's this fast drop you speak of?
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If you're taking the cot out of the ambulance, it's faster to pull the manual release and have your partner step on the bottom rail when it's almost all the way down, rather than to press the + button the whole way.

Even if that's not what he's talking about, it's helpful. :)
 
EMSLaw said:
If you're taking the cot out of the ambulance, it's faster to pull the manual release and have your partner step on the bottom rail when it's almost all the way down, rather than to press the + button the whole way.

Even if that's not what he's talking about, it's helpful. :)
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We have a gurney that won't even hold weight unless you prime it with the + button -.-
 
Our service tested the power cots and not a single person liked it.
 
AmbuLift said:
Was the problem that the patient still had to be moved onto the cot?
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I have several concerns with the product you're advertising.

One: The cable looks very dangerous. It is bent in all sorts of ways instead of just one, weakening it very much. The cable snap, and it's bye bye head or whatever it hits?

Two: Why would you wheel the patient up on a chair, when the gurney can be pulled up? Puts unnecessary stress and strain on the patient and crew.

Three: The ramps look very steep and I can see a patient sliding off the gurney very easily.

Four: There's no fail safe, if the cable snaps while the gurney is being pulled up, it's going to roll away and injure the patient and probably the emt's it will mow over.
 
Honestly, the mac lift looks the safest.
 
from the place where i serve is well equiped, but ofcourse needs human assistance...depends on cases and services or scenery, anyway here in europe we are trying our best to give eccellence service in health...we know our main competence, to protect the patient, to protect the other involve people in the place of scene, and to protect ourselves.
 
exodus said:
I have several concerns with the product you're advertising.

One: The cable looks very dangerous. It is bent in all sorts of ways instead of just one, weakening it very much. The cable snap, and it's bye bye head or whatever it hits?
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Dear Exodus, thank you for the feedback. Please allow me to address your points.

The cable is guaranteed by the manufacturer to 3,000 Lbs. Realistic weight of a patient that EMTs would have to move before calling the Fire Department is 300-400 Lbs. Therefore we are operating with the cable margin of safety of 8x-10x.

Two: Why would you wheel the patient up on a chair, when the gurney can be pulled up? Puts unnecessary stress and strain on the patient and crew.
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This is a key point. While you can use a gurney to move the patient, you must first lift the patient onto the gurney. Most of the time the patient has to be first put on a chair (in their house or apartment - since gurneys can't move on stairs). Then the chair is wheeled out to the ambulance and the patient is lifted from the chair to the cot. That's when EMT injuries frequently take place (owing to the unnatural position of the spine during the 90 degree turn required).
Having the ability to move the patient with a chair into the ambulance and then using the mechanical power to lift him onto the cot is the key difference.

Three: The ramps look very steep and I can see a patient sliding off the gurney very easily.
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The patient must be fixed to the gurney with straps ensuring that this can not happen. This is a NYC EMT regulation (once an ambulance rolled over, this prevented injury to the patient).


Four: There's no fail safe, if the cable snaps while the gurney is being pulled up, it's going to roll away and injure the patient and probably the emt's it will mow over.
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Pleas see my comment re cable strength above. Ultimately all devices have the potential to fail - key is ensuring that you have sufficient margin of safety in place to make sure it doesn't happen.

Again - I very much thank you for your comments; primarily it's the dialogue that I would like to foster.
 
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NVRob said:
I still like Linuss's original answer.

We use stryker power pros. Catch the catch bar on the head of the cot, lift the foot end, press the - button, slide it in then lock it into place.

If they are fat two point it, of they are really fat call for the barbaric unit and use the cool ramps and winch :D
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ditto.
 
In the video I noticed the cable kinking multiple times and the emt attempting to fix it. I would be simply worried about the kink causing unseen damage to the cable and snapping.

It's a good idea, but I think a nylon type strap would be safer (Similar to the ropes here: at the bottom -or straps- http://www.yatesgear.com/rescue/tactical/ropes/index.htm) Much safer if it does break. And as far as a fail safe, I'm talking like flaps that pop up on the ramp as the wheels go up to stop it from rolling away, think a roller coaster being pulled up the first hill.
Like I said, it looks good, I'm just afraid of the safety aspect of it.
 
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