Philobeado
Gold Member
Four-hundred-, 600- and even 800-pound patients are presenting ambulance crews with some big challenges.
As obesity rates rise, paramedics in Nebraska and Iowa are faced with carrying more obese patients. In turn, paramedics find creative ways to move them, and some fire departments are looking to borrow or buy specialized equipment.
Lincoln Fire & Rescue, for example, is considering putting a construction crane and a forklift on call for patients who are too big to get out a door or down steps. Firefighters had to use a tarp to haul an 800-pound patient a few years ago.
A standard ambulance costs $190,000 to $200,000. Omaha is considering paying $15,000 to $20,000 more for one that comes with, along with a winch, a reinforced floor and a bigger patient compartment. Rupp said the ambulance would be purchased when an existing ambulance must be replaced.
Some fire departments are considering purchasing heavy-duty stretchers, which can come with hydraulic lifts.
The Council Bluffs Fire Department purchased one four years ago. The stretcher can hold up to 1,600 pounds, compared with the standard 700 pounds, and is 29 inches wide instead of 23 inches.
The department uses it for patients who are 400-pounds-plus, and it's getting more use lately? once or twice per month instead of every other month, said Rick Benson, a division chief in the department.
Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Metro/Region - Midlands ambulance crews strain to help obese patients
As obesity rates rise, paramedics in Nebraska and Iowa are faced with carrying more obese patients. In turn, paramedics find creative ways to move them, and some fire departments are looking to borrow or buy specialized equipment.
Lincoln Fire & Rescue, for example, is considering putting a construction crane and a forklift on call for patients who are too big to get out a door or down steps. Firefighters had to use a tarp to haul an 800-pound patient a few years ago.
A standard ambulance costs $190,000 to $200,000. Omaha is considering paying $15,000 to $20,000 more for one that comes with, along with a winch, a reinforced floor and a bigger patient compartment. Rupp said the ambulance would be purchased when an existing ambulance must be replaced.
Some fire departments are considering purchasing heavy-duty stretchers, which can come with hydraulic lifts.
The Council Bluffs Fire Department purchased one four years ago. The stretcher can hold up to 1,600 pounds, compared with the standard 700 pounds, and is 29 inches wide instead of 23 inches.
The department uses it for patients who are 400-pounds-plus, and it's getting more use lately? once or twice per month instead of every other month, said Rick Benson, a division chief in the department.
Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Metro/Region - Midlands ambulance crews strain to help obese patients
