Lifting and Moving Patients

LIFTING AND MOVING PATIENTS

Proper body mechanics involves using your body in the safest and most efficient ways so as to prevent a major injury. Always keep your shoulders stacked on your hips and knees with your body straight. Twisting injuries cause the most injuries in the EMT. Do not use your back muscles for lifting. Instead, use your leg muscles, hip muscles, and buttocks for lifting with tension of your abdominal muscles and not your back muscles. Keep the patient’s weight as close to your body as possible.

There are certain techniques that should be used when lifting or otherwise manipulating the patient. You should use what’s called the “power lift”, which involves having the feet apart, abdominal muscles tense, and the back straight. A power grip is used by having the palms and fingers come in contact with each other in a firm grip. The squat lift involves having the weaker foot slightly forward and then doing the power lift. A onehanded carrying technique is done with the back straight and the weight held below your own waist with out leaning in or out for balance.

There are certain emergency moves that are done without spinal stabilization in dangerous situations when removing the patient from a site is necessary to be done quickly. The armpit-forearm drag is used with the EMT reaching underneath the armpits, grabbing the patient’s forearms and then dragging. The shirt grab is done by dragging the patient by the shoulders and with their shirt for traction. The blanket drag involves dragging the patient after putting a blanket beneath them. Urgent moves are used with spinal immobilization and a safe scene.

Nonurgent moves are used when the patient is stable and the scene is safe. A backboard should be used if a back injury is possible. There are several techniques that can be used in dragging or carrying the patient out of the scene and to the ambulance.

There are several carrying devices that can be used by the EMT that you should be familiar with. These include the following:

• Wheeled stretcher—this is a stretcher that does not have to be carried. The patient can be wheeled to and from the ambulance.