EMT: Chapter 8 + 9: Lifting and Moving Patients & Team Approach to Healthcare

Blackboard

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, pelvic, spinal, or lower extremity injury. Also called a spine board, trauma board, and a longboard.

Bariatrics

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

Basket stretcher

a rigid stretcher commonly used in technical and water rescues that surrounds and supports the patient yet allows water to drain through holes in the bottom; also called a Stokes basket or litter.

Body mechanics

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

Diamond Carry

a carrying technique in which one clinician is located at the head end of the stretcher or backboard, one at the foot end, and one at each side of the patient. Each of the two clinicians at the sides uses one hand to support the stretcher or backboard so that all are able to face forward as they walk.

Emergency Move

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

Dangerous scene examples include explosives, fire, or hazardous materials. Also do this if you are unable to gain access to others in a vehicle who are in need of lifesaving care, and if you’re unable to protect the patient from other hazards.

Extremity Lift

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

Used for nonurgent moves

Flexible stretcher

a stretcher that is a rigid carrying device when secured around a patient but can be folded or rolled when not in use; also called a soft stretcher.

portable stretcher

A stretcher with a strong rectangular tubular metal frame and rigid fabric stretched across it.

power grip

a technique in which the stretcher or backboard is gripped by inserting each hand under the handle with the palm facing up and the thumb extended, fully supporting the underside of the handle on the curved palm with the fingers and thumb.

Rapid extrication 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 condition do not allow for standard methods of spinal motion restriction

Should be done if vehicle or scene is unsafe, explosives or other hazards are on scene, there’s a fire or danger of one, patient can’t be properly assessed before being removed, they have a life threatening condition. Requires a team of three clinicians

Scoop stretcher

a stretcher that is designed to be split into two or four sections that can be fitted around a patient who is lying on the ground or other relatively flat surface

stair chair

a lightweight folding device that is used to carrying an alert, seated patient up or down the stairs

Wheeled ambulance stretcher

A specially designed stretcher that can be rolled along the ground. A collapsible undercarriage allows it to be loaded into the ambulance. Also called an ambulance stretcher.

Back injuries

The lead causing injuries in EMS

Sacrum

Both the mechanical weight bearing base of the spine column and the fused central posterior section of the pelvic gridle.

Straight

Make sure that your back is straight at all times

15 inches

Make sure to spread your legs approx ___ and bend your kegs to lower your torso and arms.

Palm

Always keep your ____ up when gripping the stretcher

15-20 inches

Make sure you’re at most ____ away from the patient when trying to lift them

four

due to safety concerns, consider using ___ clinicians to lift when possible

350

Special bariatric techniques, equipment, and resources are generally required to move any patient who weighs more than ____ pounds to the ambulance.

hypotensive

Patients with no suspected injury reporting chest pain or respiratory distress should be placed in a position of comfort like Fowler’s, unless they are ______.

Packaged, supine

Patients who are in shock should be _____ and placed in a _____ position.

Left side

Patients in late stage of pregnancy should be position and transported on their _____ if supine.

side

Unresponsive patients with no suspected spinal, hip, or pelvic injury should be positioned onto the ____ without twisting their body.

Urgent

This move may be necessary to move a patient with an altered level of consciousness, inadequate ventilation, shock, or cardiac arrest. In other words, need to be moved from the location or position in which they are found stat.

Elevated

When rolling the wheeled ambulance stretcher, make sure it is in the fully _____ position.

shoulders, hips, thighs, ankles

Secure the stretcher’s safety belts over the patients’ ______ and around their chest in a four point harness fashion.

Secure the stretchers’ safety belt also over their ___, ____, and ____.

68%-78%

Between ____ of a person’s weight is in their torso

feet, head

When carrying a patient down the stairs or an incline, the patient should be carried ____ first so that the ____ end is elevated higher.

Shorter

It is easier if the ____ clinician is at the upper end.

Short/half spine

This backboard can be used to stabilize the torso, head, and neck of an alert seated patient with no life threatening injuries who is unable to self extricate and only has a suspected spinal injury

ALS Assist

An intervention in which a clinician trained in basic life support provides assistance while remaining within their scope of practice, to a clinician who is performing an advanced life support procedure.

Anchoring

A decision making error in which the clinician settles on one possible cause of the patient’s problems early and fails to consider other options

Biases

Fixed beliefs that are not based on objective knowledge

Community paramedicine

A healthcare model in which experienced paramedics receive advanced training to equip them to provide additional services in the prehospital environment, such as health evaluations, monitoring of chronic illnesses or conditions, and patient advocacy.

Continuum of Care

The concept of consistent patient care across the entire health care team from first patient contact to patient discharge; working together with a unified goal results in improved individual and team performance, better patient and clinician safety, and improved patient outcome.

Crew resource management

A set of procedures for use in environments where human error can have disastrous consequences. It empowers people within a team to communicate effectively with one another with a goal of improving team situational awareness, patient and crew safety, and overall communication

Mobile integrated healthcare

A method of delivering healthcare that involves providing healthcare within the community rather than at a physician’s office or hospital.

overconfidence

a decision making error in which the clinician overestimates their ability and chooses the wrong treatment path or ignores others’ input, resulting in harmful actions

situational awareness

a state of sustained knowledge and understanding of one’s surroundings and of potential risks to the safety of the patient or EMS team

Team

In the context of EMS, a group of health care clinicians who are assigned specific roles and are working interdependently in a coordinated manner under a designated leader

Team Leader

The team member who provides role assignments, coordination, oversight, centralized decision making, and support for the team to accomplish their goals and achieve desired results.

Just Culture

An approach to leadership in organizations that balances fairness and accountability and encourages people to report errors and near misses.

error, incorrectly, follow

Human error to be functional of three factors:

A person intended to do the right thing but somehow committed an _____

A person performed a skill ____

A person meant to do something but did not _____ through.

Five Essential elements of a group that people must share: