Lifting & Moving Victims 1

Introduction Moving victims has be done in a way that will prevent further injury, with minimal pain & discomfort. Before moving, assessment should be done & first aid should be given except: To remove victims from hazards. To reach other more seriously injured victims. We should leave moving to professional ER team. 2

General Principles of Moving If you find a victim in a facedown position, move the person to an assessment position after doing the ABCD assessment and checking for possible neck and spinal injury Generally, you should not move a victim if moving the person will make injuries worse Provide all necessary ER care & splint all fractures Move a victim only if there is immediate danger If it is necessary to move a victim, your speed will depend on the reason for the move 3

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When to make an ER move ( when no other options are available) Uncontrolled traffic Physically unstable surroundings (e.g., a vehicle on its side that you cannot stabilize) Exposure to hazardous materials Fire or threat of fire (fire should always be considered a grave threat) Hostile crowds The need to reposition the victim in order to provide life-saving treatment (such as moving to a firm, flat surface to perform CPR) The need for access (you may need to move one victim to gain access to another) Weather conditions (you need to control exposure if the weather is very cold, wet, or hot, or windy enough to turn objects into projectiles) 5

PROGRESS CHECK 1. In general, you should move a victim to an assessment position only after checking for possible ____________ injury. (head/spinal/chest) 2. Unless there is a pressing reason, you should move a victim only after ____________. (necessary first aid care/thorough assessment/help arrives on the scene) 3. The speed with which you move a victim depends on ____________. (the victim’s injuries/the victim’s desires/your reason for moving) 4. You should move a victim before assessment or care if the scene ____________. (is especially unpleasant/threatens life/is crowded) 6

One-Rescuer Techniques Walking assist: a rescuer functions as a crutch in assisting the injured victim to walk Blanket drag: a rescuer places the victim on a blanket and drags the victim to safety Shirt drag: a single rescuer uses the victim’s shirt as a handle to pull the victim Sheet drag: a single rescuer forms a drag harness out of a sheet by passing it under the victim’s arms at the armpits, and uses it to pull the victim Firefighter’s carry: one rescuer carries the victim over his or her shoulder 7

Walking Assist 1. Stand at the victim’s side and drape the victim’s arm across your shoulders. 2. Support the victim by placing your arm around his or her waist. 3. Using your body as a crutch, support the victim’s weight as you both walk. 8

Blanket drag 1. Spread a blanket alongside the victim; gather half the blanket into lengthwise pleats. 2. Roll the victim away from you, then tuck the pleated part of the blanket as far beneath the victim as you can. 9

Shirt Drag 1. Fasten the victim’s hands or wrists loosely together, then link them to the victim’s belt or pants to keep the arms from flopping or coming out of the shirt. 2. Grasp the shoulders of the victim’s shirt under the head; use your forearms to support both sides of the head. 3. Using the shirt as a handle, pull the victim toward you; the pulling power should engage the victim’s armpits, not the neck. 10

Sheet Drag 1. Fold a sheet several times lengthwise to form a narrow, long “harness”; lay the folded sheet centered across the victim’s chest at the nipple line. 2. Pull the ends of the sheet under the victim’s arms at the armpits and behind the victim’s head; twist the ends of the sheet together to form a triangular support for the head. Be careful not to pull the victim’s hair. 3. Grasping the loose ends of the sheet, pull the victim toward you. 11

Firefighter’s Carry 1. Position the victim on his or her back with both knees bent and raised; grasp the back sides of the victim’s wrists. 2. Stand on the toes of both the victim’s feet; lean backward and pull the victim up toward you. 3. As the victim nears a standing position, crouch slightly and pull the victim over your shoulder, then stand upright. 4. Pass your arm between the victim’s legs and grasp the victim’s arm that is nearest your body. 12

PROGRESS CHECK 1. Use the walking assist to help a ____________ victim walk. (slightly injured/conscious/spinal-injured) 2. You can roll a victim onto a ____________, then drag him or her to safety. (chair/stretcher/blanket) 3. In the shirt drag, make sure the pulling power engages the victim’s ____________. (neck /shoulders/armpits) 4. The sheet drag involves creating a “harness” that is twisted under the victim’s arms and behind the ____________. (head/neck /shoulders) 5. Unless you are in a life-and-death situation, you should not use the firefighter’s carry to move a victim with suspected ____________. (spinal injury/head injury/chest injury) 13

Two- and Three-Rescuer Techniques Seat carry: two rescuers form a “seat” with their arms Extremity lift: two rescuers carry the victim by the extremities Chair litter carry: the victim is seated in a chair and two rescuers carry the victim in the chair Flat lift and carry: three rescuers or more lift and carry the victim to a stretcher 14

Seat Carries (Two Rescuers) 1. Raise the victim to a sitting position; each First Aider steadies the victim by positioning an arm around the victim’s back. 2. Each First Aider slips his or her other arm under victim’s thighs, then clasps the wrist of the other First Aider 3. Slowly raise the victim from the ground, moving in unison 15

Extremity Lift (Two Rescuers) 1. One First Aider kneels at the victim’s head; the other kneels at the victim’s knees. 2. The First Aider at the victim’s head places one hand under each of the victim’s shoulders; the second First Aider grasps the victim’s wrists. 3. The First Aider at the victim’s knees pulls the victim to a sitting position by pulling on the victim’s wrists 4. The First Aider at the victim’s head slips his or her hands under the arms, and grasps the victim’s wrists 5. The First Aider at the victim’s knees slips his or her hands beneath the victim’s knees. 6. Both First Aiders crouch on their feet and then simultaneously stand in one fluid motion 16

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Chair Litter Carry (Two Rescuers) If chair is available. Sit the victim on chair. One first aider takes the back and the other take the legs. Make sure the chair is strong enough. 18

Flat Lift and Carry (Three Rescuers) 19

PROGRESS CHECK 1. In seat carries, a “chair” can be formed by a pair of arms or by __________. (two hands/four hands/a pair of shoulders) 2. Never use the extremity lift if the victim has __________. (head injuries/back injuries/fractures) 3. If you have access to a sturdy chair and the victim does not have contraindicating injuries, use the __________. (chair lift/chair carry/chair litter carry) 4. If you have at least three rescuers, use the __________ to move a severely injured victim. (flat lift and carry/extremity lift/chair carry) 20

Canvas Litter/Pole Stretcher Backboards Blanket Stretcher 29.4 Equipment Canvas Litter/Pole Stretcher Backboards Blanket Stretcher Improvised Stretchers 21

Holds up to 350 pounds Use if victim can be logrolled Do not use if spinal immobilization is needed

Used if neck immobilization is needed. Techniques include: if victim is sitting Vs supine 23

Can not be used if victim has neck, back, pelvic, or skull # Use a blanket that is strong, free from holes. 24

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PROGRESS CHECK 1. You should maintain manual support of the__________ until the victim is supine on a backboard. (backboard/head/head and neck) 2. Use a blanket as a stretcher only if you do not suspect a ____________. (pneumothorax/hemothorax/fractured skull) 3. Before you place a victim on a stretcher, you should test it with an uninjured person of the same __________. (height/weight/gender) 27