Lifting and Moving Patients

Protecting Yourself: Body Mechanics: Body mechanics refers to the proper use of your body to prevent injury and to facilitate lifting and moving. Things to
consider before lifting a patient, The objects, Your imitations, Communication

Rules to prevent injury: Position your feet properly. Use your legs. Never turn or twist. Do not compensate when lifting with one hand. Keep the weight close
to your body, or as close as possible. Use a stair chair when carrying a patient on stairs whenever possible. It is almost always safer and more efficient to move
patients over distances on a wheeled device rather than carry a patient.
When lifting a patient-carrying device, use an even number of people if possible.

Power lift: Squat rather than bend at the waist. Keep the weight close to your body. Keep feet a comfortable distance apart and flat on the ground with weight
primarily on the balls of the feet or just behind them. Keep your back locked-in. Raise your upper body before your hips. Use the reverse order to lower a patient.

Power grip: As great an area of your fingers and palms as possible should be in contact with the object. All of your fingers should be bent at the same angle. If
possible, keep your hands at least 10 inches apart.

Reaching: Keep your back in a locked-in position. Avoid twisting while reaching. Avoid reaching more than 15 to 20 inches in front of your body. Avoid
prolonged reaching when strenuous effort is required.

Pushing or pulling: Push, rather than pull, whenever possible. Keep your back locked-in. Keep the line of pull through the center of your body by bending your
knees. Keep the weight close to your body. If the weight is below your waist level, push or pull from a kneeling position. Avoid pushing or pulling overhead.
Keep your elbows bent and arms close to your sides.

Emergency Moves: Emergency move—If the patient is in immediate danger, you may have to move the patient before assessing the patient, immobilizing the
patient’s spine, or moving a stretcher into position. Situations for an emergency move, the scene is hazardous. Care of life-threatening conditions requires
repositioning. You must reach other patients. To minimize or prevent aggravation of the injury during an emergency move, move the patient in the direction of
the long axis of the body when possible. You may use drags, carries, and assists.

Urgent Moves: Urgent moves are required when the patient must be moved quickly for treatment of an immediate life threat. Urgent moves are performed with
precautions for spinal injury. Situations for an urgent move The required treatment can only be performed if the patient is moved. Factors at the scene cause
patient decline.

Moving a patient onto a long spine board (backboard): Move patient to his side using a log-roll maneuver. Place the spine board next to the patient’s body,
and then log-roll the patient onto the board. Secure and immobilize the patient on the spine board. Lift the board and patient onto the stretcher, and secure the
board to the stretcher. Load the patient, board, and stretcher into the ambulance. During a rapid extrication from a vehicle, you may stabilize the spine manually
and move the patient from the car onto a long spine board.

Non-Urgent Moves: Use a non-urgent move when there is no immediate threat to life. Complete on-scene assessment and any needed on-scene treatments first.
Carry out non-urgent moves in such a way as to prevent injury or additional injury to the patient and to avoid discomfort and pain. Move the patient from the site
of on-scene assessment and treatment onto a patient-carrying device. Patient-carrying devices, Stretcher or other device designed to carry the patient safely to the
ambulance and/or to the hospital Be sure to know how to properly use a device and its rating (how much weight it will hold safely). Be sure to regularly maintain
and inspect a device.

Wheeled stretcher: Device in the back of all ambulances that transports a patient in a reclining position, safest level is closest to the ground. Ideal for level
surfaces, Remember to use proper body mechanics when moving the stretcher in and out of the ambulance.
Types of stretchers, Manual stretchers are lifted by EMTs. Power stretchers lift the patient from the ground level to the loading position or lower a patient from
the raised position. Bariatric stretchers are constructed to transport obese patients. A stretcher can be carried by four EMTs, one at each corner (especially over
rough terrain).Be sure to always secure the patient to the stretcher before lifting or moving and secure the stretcher to the ambulance.

Stair chair: Best used on stairs because large stretchers cannot be carried around tight corners or up and down narrow staircases Transports the patient in a
sitting position Has wheels that allow the device to be rolled over flat surfaces Some use track like system that allows the EMTs to gently slide the patient down a
staircase. Two rescuers are necessary, and a third is preferred as a spotter. Ideal for patients with difficulty breathing should not be used for patients with neck or
spine injury, unresponsive patients, patients with severely altered mental status, or patients who require airway care

Spine board: Two types: short and long, Used for patients who are found lying down or standing and who must be immobilized Available in wood as well as
plastics (to resist splintering)Short spine boards are primarily used for removing patients from vehicles when a neck or spine injury is suspected.

Portable stretcher—Useful in multiple-casualty incidents, Scoop stretcher—Splits into two pieces vertically, Basket stretcher (Stokes stretcher)—Used to
move a patient from one level to another or over rough terrain, Flexible stretcher (Reeves stretcher)—Made of flexible material and can be useful in restricted
areas or narrow hallways, Vacuum mattress—Air is withdrawn, padding voids for greater comfort.

Moving patient onto carrying devices: Choose a move based on the position is in when it is time to move him to a carrying device and whether or not the
patient is suspected of having a spine injury Patient with suspected spine injury, Perform manual stabilization. Place a rigid cervical collar. Maintain manual
stabilization until the patient is immobilized to a spine board. If patient is seated in a vehicle, immobilize him with a short spine board or vest and then on a long
spine board. If patient is lying down or standing, move him directly to a long spine board.

Patient with no suspected spine injury Extremity lift—Used to carry a patient to a stretcher or stair chair or lift a patient from the ground or sitting position Direct
ground lift—Used to lift a patient from the ground to a stretcher Draw-sheet method—Used along with direct carry method during transfers between hospitals
and nursing homes or when a patient must be moved from a bed at home to a stretcher Direct carry—Used to move a patient from a bed or from a bed-level
position to a stretcher

Patient positioning: Place unresponsive patients with no suspected spine injury in the recovery position (on side). Place responsive patients with no suspected
spine injury in a position of comfort, The semi-sitting position (Fowler’s or semi-Fowler’s position) aids patients with breathing complaints, Continuously
monitor the patient’s airway and level of responsiveness, and place patient in the recovery position at the first sign of a decreased level of responsiveness. Place
patients who are believed to be in shock in the supine position. Place patients who have experienced trauma on a spine board at level position and immobilize to
prevent injury. Transferring the patient to a hospital stretcher—You will most likely use a modified draw-sheet method to transfer the patient.