Bariatric Ambulances

[Aitch]

No wonder the NHS is short of cash if they have to lash out £90k a time for special ambulances, due to the number of obese people about!

Story in the Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/patients-force-ambulance-service-to-supersize-2202847.html).

[Rolfe]

There was a TV documentary about treating an extraordinarily obese man, in which the problems of transport and having to reinforce the hospital floor were mentioned. It seemed ridiculous to me. The man was less than 400kg.

The average horse weighs more than this. Horseboxes carry several at a time. Equine surgeons have facilities for dealing with patients this size, no problem.

Given that this patient was presented as something of a one-off, I couldn't see why they were thinking so much inside the box. There are modern, swish, very clean horseboxes. Why couldn't one be equipped to transport him? They even have ramps you could wheel a trolley up.

Why not ask one of the top equine surgical outfits for the use of their facilities, and bring in any extra equipment needed? Far far easier and cheaper than what was actually done.

The tabloids would have had a field day of course, but apart from that, why not?

Rolfe.

[ponderingturtle]

No wonder the NHS is short of cash if they have to lash out £90k a time for special ambulances, due to the number of obese people about!

Story in the Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/patients-force-ambulance-service-to-supersize-2202847.html).

So leave fat people to die?

That also included no comparisons on how much more than a typical ambulance these things cost. Keep in mind that typical stretchers in the US require at the least on person holding one end of the stretcher up to put it in. That is hard with large patients. But a few wreaked backs in EMTs is no big deal either I guess, that is what they get for trying to help people.

[The Fool]

So leave fat people to die?


sounds like a plan.

[Architect]

There was a TV documentary about treating an extraordinarily obese man, in which the problems of transport and having to reinforce the hospital floor were mentioned. It seemed ridiculous to me. The man was less than 400kg.

Correct, normal floor loadings in a modern building should be able to take this weight depending upon the dead load of adjacent medical equipment and the like.


Given that this patient was presented as something of a one-off, I couldn't see why they were thinking so much inside the box. There are modern, swish, very clean horseboxes. Why couldn't one be equipped to transport him? They even have ramps you could wheel a trolley up.


Is suspect that horse boxes are not designed to protect their occupants in the manner required of normal passanger vehicles and are thus not licenced for said transportation.

;)


The tabloids would have had a field day of course, but apart from that, why not?

Of course they'll have one either way.....

[ponderingturtle]

No wonder the NHS is short of cash if they have to lash out £90k a time for special ambulances, due to the number of obese people about!

Story in the Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/patients-force-ambulance-service-to-supersize-2202847.html).

I also wonder, do you think they are short on cash because they treat things that people do to themselves like smokers getting lung cancer and the like? That could add up to not £90k for a vehicle that will service many patients but for an individual patient.

[Rolfe]

Is suspect that horse boxes are not designed to protect their occupants in the manner required of normal passanger vehicles and are thus not licenced for said transportation.


I don't know. The sort of vehicle people use to transport starry racehorses is pretty well engineered. Worth enquiring, anyway.

Rolfe.

[NYCEMT86]

Here in New York City, the Fire Department actually put about 2 bariatric units per borough a couple years ago. Private ambulance companies here also utilize bariatric units. I have worked with the bari stretcher and patients who weight a lot more than what my partner and I are required to lift and it is no easy task.

Some of these people weigh more than the maximum weight limit for a normal sized stretcher or stairchair. Not only is that dangerous for the patient, but for us as well.

The problem with just only using a bari stretcher is that it will add an additional 100lbs to lift just for a mechanical stretcher and up to 150lbs for an electronic hydraulic stretcher. Once you have the patient inside the ambulance, you have no room to work since the stretcher is wider and sits right up to benches leaving no leg room for the tech/medic.

The other issue is the fact that when you have a severe emergency where you need to load and go, you can't just sit around and wait for an additional crew to help lift. You are going to risk the safety of a crew to save a few dollars? I don't think so. The one major problem that plagues Emergency Medical Services is injuries relating to lifting. Patients are getting heavier and it becomes harder to safety lift and move these people.