mountainman999

I would consider the injury you describe to be a distracting injury and would immobilize the patient.

I don't know if has caught on over in the states but an expression that has been doing the rounds hear in ambulance circles is "The more on the belt the less they know". Which as a general rule works. People who need to walk around with a comfort blanket of pouches as well as an ambulance bag ofern tend to be a bit of a worry.

They are oftern different and I have only used a ramp. However the trollys that are used with the tail lifts are not specfic, for example if memory serves me correctly all the London ambulance service ambulances with tail lifts use the normal ferno trollys all be it with a foot pump rather than a manuel lift. some of the tail lifts I have seen you can stand next to the patient.

I am unshure how to post images however http://www.ukemergency.co.uk/index.htm has a verity of current and older UK ambulances which will give you some idear of the different ramps and tail lifts available. I hope thats of use to you.

Maybe it's just different attitudes showing from across the world but the technology exists to make our job safer so why not embrace it. Yes everybody who works on an ambulance should be able to lift but equally everybody who works on an ambulance should be looking to do the minimum amount of lifting.

Can your patient walk or is there a clinical reason why they should not?

We should be embracing things that make what we do safer such as PAT slides, transfer boards, glide sheets etc.

As a Uk volunteer most of our ambulances now have a back that will lower and a ramp that comes down agin to avoid lifting.

As for the comments "oh well how about we just keep it for the fat people" , Rember the vast majority of moving and handerling injuries are caused by cumulative bad practice not a one off incident.

The vast majority of NHS ambulances come with tail lifts.

I swap over sheets etc if not using disposable. OTherwise you should have all you need if not ask stealing is still stealing but if it's just one of those things then going up to one of the nurses and asking politely is normally well received the world over.

Cling film is advocated as a burn dressing at all levels in the UK. It has a number of advantages:

1)Sterile.

2)easy to apply even to burns of large area.

3)Can help to reduce pain as it prevents the movement of air over the burn surface.

4)It allows the burn to be viewed without the need to remove dressings thus minimising the risk of infection.

5)does not stick to the burn.

In respect to applying it general practice is to remove the first 2 turns of the role to make shure that the cling film is Sterile. Then it is applied over the burn. It is important however not to apply it as a role particluarly for example around limbs or around a chest as when the injured part swells it can impede circulation. Therefor it should be applied in strips to maintain circulation distal to the burn.

As for Burn Kling bit of a rip off normal cling film will do just as well and is less bulky. I keep a role in the bottom of my bag.

This might be a good talking point:

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...%3Doff%26sa%3DN

The same has also been suggested over hear for cardiac patients because of the vaso constrtive effects of oxygen some services are now using 60% rather than 100% o2

Thata damming thne if have become keen.

The fact it's not called that gives it away to a certain degree anyway.

I have a look hear. Im from London and St John ambulance crew.