Bariatric Ambulances

[EMT036]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-03-21-technology-usat_x.htm

Anyone else have these yet? I can imagine they are quite nice for the back. (Still recovering from frequent transports of a 665.5 lb patient... 4 months later...)

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[Apollyon]

That's just bad...the regular Stryker stretchers are rated for 350lbs, and the yellow and black ones are 575lbs.

We had a code once of a woman that was so big, the engine company had to tap out the ladder company to assist. Imagine 8 BIG guys being needed to top-deck a patient downstairs. The two firefighters who came along had to get out of the ambulance before we took off, and my partner had to stand on the bench seat, when the patient needed to be shocked. She was "pouring over the edges" - I was legitimately afraid that the stretcher was going to have a structural failure. Not surprisingly, she stayed dead.

 

[DSM]

Wow! That stretcher would be wonderful to have!!!

They say Obesity hurts no one but the person themselves.....Well, they forgot about the poor paramedics and EMT's who have to lift them!

 

[beanbean]

We have a cool stretcher that uses a compressed air from an SCBA tank to raise and lower the bed. Completely effortless to go up or down. However, the stretcher itself is quite heavy compared to a regular one so lugging it up or down stairs is an issue and lifting the tail end to get a heavy pt into the rig is a pain. We usually stair chair or board the patient to the stretcher to stairs. It also makes a cool whooshing noise when you let the air out to lower it. The best feature is that you can give the patient an air cushioned ride to the ED. Invaluable for extremity or pelvic fx pts; really saves them from agony on the pot holes.

I'm just happy for a stretcher that has locking wheels! Our old ones didn't. I never lost anybody down a hill, but I came close.

 

[PluckyDuk8]

Originally posted by beanbean

I'm just happy for a stretcher that has locking wheels! Our old ones didn't. I never lost anybody down a hill, but I came close.

What about stretchers during the icy chicago winter...yeeks! One of the first rules to learn- never leave go of the stretcher. Some of the patients may like going for a wild ride but I don't know how much the higher ups would like it.

Anyone ever gone cot surfing?

 

[beanbean]

Never cot surfed, but I know people who have used it for other 'activities'! When the rig is a knockin'....its the quickest way to get lose your squad membership or get fired! Gross! Get a room, please!

 

[EMT036]

Never cot surfed, but took some 9' straps and hooked a LBB up to the rear hitch of one of our first response vehicles, and proceeded to do a little power-tobagganing in the snow.