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If I am going into a handicap accessible scene (nursing home, storefront, etc), I bring the cot in with all our gear on it simply because I don't like carrying all of it and would rather roll it around.
How do you make up your cot?
- Thread starter InkaHootz
- Start date
If I am going into a handicap accessible scene (nursing home, storefront, etc), I bring the cot in with all our gear on it simply because I don't like carrying all of it and would rather roll it around.
frdude1000
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Wipe down cot with sani-wipes after all calls. If bodily fluid exposure occurs, decontaminate properly.
Next, I put 1 hospital sheet folded over on cot. Then I place an extra sheet at the foot of the cot and strap it in. If its a friday or saturday night, I will usually put a towel over the area in which the patient sits for a bit of extra protection. We carry a blanket when it is cold.
Next, I put 1 hospital sheet folded over on cot. Then I place an extra sheet at the foot of the cot and strap it in. If its a friday or saturday night, I will usually put a towel over the area in which the patient sits for a bit of extra protection. We carry a blanket when it is cold.
Interesting... I never thought about it, but I am a bit specific about my stretcher setup.
Flat sheet folded once on the bottom (never a stretch or fitted, they leech more if a spill, and much more difficult to transfer.
Bath Blanket/fitted sheet at feet (secured with strap) for wrap/burrito
Monitor secured to middle straps
Extra fitted sheet or two on shelf or between mattress and frame (behind head).
At the first department I worked with, they preset their wrap/burrito by folding into concentric wraps on the stretcher (hard to describe), so once they loaded the patient, they could just pull the sheet around. I have yet to find a partner patient to set it up with me properly...
Flat sheet folded once on the bottom (never a stretch or fitted, they leech more if a spill, and much more difficult to transfer.
Bath Blanket/fitted sheet at feet (secured with strap) for wrap/burrito
Monitor secured to middle straps
Extra fitted sheet or two on shelf or between mattress and frame (behind head).
At the first department I worked with, they preset their wrap/burrito by folding into concentric wraps on the stretcher (hard to describe), so once they loaded the patient, they could just pull the sheet around. I have yet to find a partner patient to set it up with me properly...
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That's what the "Company Wrap" is, and it's fairly difficult to put into words. You need fairly large blankets to make it work especially if the patient is of the large persuasion.
NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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Our local bls crews set the AC on arctic during the summer and either forget to turn the heat on or leave the doors wide open in the winter. It's always cold in the ambulance.
Our patients, especially trauma Patient's, are arriving at the ED borderline hypothermic. Cover em up... And hey, when you didn't feel well as a kid, didn't a tucked in blanket always help?
Read Thom ****'s "People Care". It'll change your customer service for the better.
Working IFT we don't store equipment on the cot. The pillow and blanket ride in with us.
Making the cot we use a standard cot sheet (not the fitted ones). Using the two person fold it takes about 2 seconds to make the cot literally.
Depending on the call will determine if the cot is deconned. Any blood, body fluids or communicable diseases and the cot gets deconned.
Once a week the cot and ambulance go through a deep clean decon process.
We have Oxygen mounted to the cot as well.
When we work standby's (football and MMA fights) the cot is prepped with a backboard, BLS jump kit, and spinal immobilization / fracture kit.
Every patient gets a pillow and blanket. We actually see the majority of our hypothermia calls when it is hot out.
Making the cot we use a standard cot sheet (not the fitted ones). Using the two person fold it takes about 2 seconds to make the cot literally.
Depending on the call will determine if the cot is deconned. Any blood, body fluids or communicable diseases and the cot gets deconned.
Once a week the cot and ambulance go through a deep clean decon process.
We have Oxygen mounted to the cot as well.
When we work standby's (football and MMA fights) the cot is prepped with a backboard, BLS jump kit, and spinal immobilization / fracture kit.
Every patient gets a pillow and blanket. We actually see the majority of our hypothermia calls when it is hot out.
Bullets
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Summer
Folded sheet tucked around cot
Winter
Folded sheet tucked around cot
Wool Blanket at foot
OR
Hospital Blanket unfolded and laid on cot, Sheet unfolded and laid ontop of Blanket, Fold one side so fold is at edge, the fold back upon itself, repeat for other side. Should have a stack folded like "Z" on each side of cot. The pull "Z" out and place patient on, wrap patient. However the hospital has changed linen supplier and the blankets arent big enough for this anymore
Folded sheet tucked around cot
Winter
Folded sheet tucked around cot
Wool Blanket at foot
OR
Hospital Blanket unfolded and laid on cot, Sheet unfolded and laid ontop of Blanket, Fold one side so fold is at edge, the fold back upon itself, repeat for other side. Should have a stack folded like "Z" on each side of cot. The pull "Z" out and place patient on, wrap patient. However the hospital has changed linen supplier and the blankets arent big enough for this anymore
VCEMT
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A cot? Well, it's folded with the straps buckled together and tucked away in its compartment.
WolfmanHarris
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Flat sheet tucked around mattress. Two sheets or sheet and blanket folded at foot of bed. Pillow on (we have custom one that are impermeable with clips to hold it on the bed) with a pillow case. A towel; always know where your towel is at.
Monitor stays on the pole mount and oxygen bag stays buckled on the bed. Our main symptom relief bag is on the monitor. Back pack with airway bag, IV set, ALS drugs and suction stays in the truck unless needed.
More and more though we're going in with monitor only, assessing the patient and then deciding what else may be needed.
Monitor stays on the pole mount and oxygen bag stays buckled on the bed. Our main symptom relief bag is on the monitor. Back pack with airway bag, IV set, ALS drugs and suction stays in the truck unless needed.
More and more though we're going in with monitor only, assessing the patient and then deciding what else may be needed.
agreed... although we should make a thread about how people make their gurneys... that would be interesting.
TechYourself
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WolfmanHarris? Now there's a frood who really knows where his towel is.
Couldn't resist.
Couldn't resist.
DesertMedic66
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Freshly made gurney (sorry for my finger haha).
Gurney ready for next call.
truetiger
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Do a lot of you take in everything for every call?
DesertMedic66
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Noooo....
h34r: (how did you guess that?)And if we are first on scene everything goes in. If we arrive same time as fire everything goes in. If we arrive after fire we call them over the radio and see if they need anything (most of the time they don't need anything so we just take the gurney).
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DesertMedic66
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:blink: don't know if I should take cover or not lol.
DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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In my experience, suburbanites do this all the time, as well as most volunteers. It's a bad habit, and many urban personnel have learned a better way. We bring it with us on calls at apartment buildings with elevators, large commercial occupancies (large stores, malls, etc), or healthcare facilities. But for a 1 or 2 or 3 family home, or any multi story without an elevator, the cot stays in the truck. The stairchair comes in, but the cot stays in the locked ambulance (unless the call is for an unconcious, than the cot stays at the front door, and the reeves get brought in, and we hope/pray no one steals/moves the cot).
My cot is pretty simple. flat sheet over the mattress, with the ends all tucked in under the mattress. 1 blanket gets buckled at the bottom, 1 sheet gets bucketed at the middle, 1 pillow (if we have one) gets buckled at the top. typically a spare blanket and sheet is kept on the back of the cot.
during the colder times, a second blanket is applied, in a manor very similar to what is described here: http://chovesh.blogspot.com/2012/01/cocoon.html
I can't believe this thread has gone 4 pages....
JPINFV
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Like OMG, how dare someone else has a different opinion than mine and try to share it. Like, my opinion is, like, the only one that counts and everyone else is totally wrong.
DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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wow, are you really a 12 year old girl? because that would explain sooo much
Like OMG, how dare someone else has a different opinion than mine and try to share it. Like, my opinion is, like, the only one that counts and everyone else is totally wrong.
oh wait, let me ask this: have you ever had a stretcher stolen? ever had it roll down the street? or equipment stolen from your truck? I have. how about had the entire truck stolen while you were inside on a job? that didn't happen to me, but it did happen to a coworker of mine.
Let me ask you think, if you bring the cot to the front door, how are you getting the patient out? bedrooms are typically upstairs, you going to bring the cot upstairs?
I can bring a stair chair almost anywhere. it goes with me. i can carry a sick patient to the back of the truck if I need to, from almost any location. i can't always bring the cot to the patient.
Maybe it's time you learn a better way to do things? I know I did, and that's why I operate the way I do.