Chapter 8: Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured

Backboard

a long, flat board made of rigid rectangular material that is used to provide support to a patient who is suspected of having a hip, spinal, or lower extremity injury. also called a spine board, trauma board, and long board

Bariatrics

a branch of medicine concerned with the management (prevention or control) of obesity and allied diseases.

basket stretcher

a ridged stretcher commonly used in technical and water rescues that surrounds and supports the patient yet allows water to drain through the holes in the bottom. also called a stokes litter

diamond carry

a carry technique in which one emt is located at the head end of the stretcher or backboard, one at the feet and one at each side of the patient; each of the two emts at the sides uses one hand to support the stretcher/backboard so that all are able to face forward as they walk

direct ground lift

lifting technique that is used for patients who are found laying supine on the ground, with no suspected spinal injury.

emergency move

a move in which the patient is dragged or pulled from a dangerous scene before assessment and care are provided

extremity lift

lifting technique that is used for patients who are found laying supine or in a sitting position with no suspected extremity or spinal injury

flexibility stretcher

stretcher that is a ridged carrying device when secured around a patient but can be folded or rolled when not in use

portable stretcher

stretcher with a strong rectangular tubular metal frame and ridged fabric stretched across it

power grip

technique in which the litter/backboard is gripped by inserting each hand under the handle with the palm facing up and the thumb fully extended fully supporting the underside of the handle on the curved palm with the fingers and thumb

power lift

lifting technique in which the emts back us held upright with the legs bent and the patients is lifted when the emt straightens the legs and raises the upper body and arms

rapid extraction technique

a technique to move a patient from a sitting position inside a vehicle to supine on a backboard in less than 1 minute when conditions do not allow for standard immobilization

scoop stretcher

a stretcher that is designed to be spit in two or four sections that can be fitted around a patient who is laying on the ground or other relatively flat surface; also called an orthopedic stretcher.

stair chair

Lightweight folding device that is used to carry a conscious patient up or down stairs.

wheeled ambulance stretcher

Specifically designed stretcher that can be rolled along the ground. A collapsible undercarriage allows it to be loaded into the ambulance, also called the stretcher or an ambulance stretcher.

extrication

Removal of a patient from entrapment or a dangerous situation or position, such as removal from a wrecked vehicle industrial incident, or collapsed building.

body mechanics

the relationship between the body's anatomical structures and the physical forces associated with lifting, moving and carrying; the ways in which the body moves to achieve a specific action