A stretcher is a medical device

Medical device

A medical device is a product which is used for medical purposes in patients, in diagnosis, therapy or surgery . Whereas medicinal products achieve their principal action by pharmacological, metabolic or immunological means. Medical devices act by other means like physical, mechanical, thermal,...

 used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another. It is a simple type of litter

Litter (rescue basket)

A litter is a stretcher or basket designed to be used where there are obstacles to movement or other hazards: for example, in confined spaces, on slopes, in wooded terrain. Typically it is shaped to accommodate an adult in a face up position and it is used in search and rescue operations. The...

, and still called by that name in some cases.

A stretcher is usually moved by two people, one at the head and the other at the feet. The casualty is placed on the stretcher, and can then be carried or wheeled away. Stretchers are indicated if a person is unable to walk by themselves, or if other requirements mean a "stair chair" (wheelchair

Wheelchair

A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...

), or similar device can not be used. Most modern civilian stretchers include straps to avoid further injury to the patient.

History

Stretchers have been used since antiquity, on battlefields and in emergency situations, where wheeled vehicles are hindered by rough terrain. In their simplest form, they generally consisted of a canvas sling

Sling (furniture)

Sling furniture is usually a suspended, free-swinging chair, bed, or hammock that is made of a framework connected to hanging straps or rope. When attached to poles or a frame for carrying, a sling becomes a stretcher, a simple form of litter....

 with long edges sewn to themselves to form pockets through with wooden poles could be slid. This form was common with militaries right through the middle of the 20th century, and in disaster situations, where rapid triaging

Triage

Triage or ) is the process of determining the priority of patients' treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately. The term comes from the French verb trier, meaning to separate,...

 and movement of patients based on severity of injuries is critical, they are still used by emergency response providers.

Modern stretchers

The stretchers used in ambulance

Ambulance

An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...

s have wheels that makes transportation over pavement easier, and have a lock inside the ambulance to secure the victim during transport.

"Normalised" stretchers, or folding stretchers, are the simplest type. They are made of two poles and two transversal hinged bars with a cloth stretched between the poles and four feet. The bars can be folded for storage. They are now rarely used by modern emergency services, but are still widely used by organizations for whom the storage space is an important factor, e.g. first aid associations, or French companies (a stretcher is mandatory). These stretchers are often used as bed

Bed

A bed is a large piece of furniture used as a place to sleep, relax, or engage in sexual relations.Most modern beds consist of a mattress on a bed frame, with the mattress resting either on a solid base, often wooden slats, or a sprung base...

s.

Disaster stretchers are designed for easy storage and transport. They consist of a tubular aluminum structure with a washable cloth. They cannot be folded, but can be piled up.

As normalised or disaster stretcher have no wheels, they are usually carried by three or four people. When they must be carried by only two people, they tie straps to the poles, so the weight is supported by the shoulders and not by the hands.

Lifting and carrying devices

The casualty must be lifted (scoop) to be put on the stretcher. This lifting can be done manually, but it is also possible to use specific devices. These devices can be also used as stretchers, but only for short distances.

A long spine board

Long spine board

A spinal board, also known as a long spine board , longboard, spineboard, or backboard, is a patient handling device used primarily in pre-hospital trauma care designed to provide rigid support during movement of a patient with suspected spinal or limb injuries...

 can be used to scoop and carry the patient to the stretcher; in case a spine trauma

Physical trauma

Trauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...

 is suspected, the victim is left on the board and tied to it and the board is, in turn, secured to the stretcher. The spine and the overall immobilization can also be performed by a vacuum mattress

Vacuum mattress

A vacuum mattress, or vacmat, is a medical device used for the immobilisation of patients, especially in case of a vertebra, pelvis or limb trauma . It is also used for manual transportation of patients for short distances...

 put on the stretcher.

A padded spineboard is similar to a long spine board, but has padding on top of the plastic surface to keep emergency victims more comfortable while they are strapped to the backboard.

When there is no suspicion of spine trauma, the vacuum mattress can be used as a stretcher (it has handles), which is best in narrow places when the stretcher cannot be kept horizontal. It is more secure and comfortable than strapping the patient to the stretcher.
The scoop stretcher

Scoop stretcher

The scoop stretcher is a device used specifically for casualty lifting...

 is used for lifting patients, for instance from the ground onto an ambulance stretcher or long board

Long spine board

A spinal board, also known as a long spine board , longboard, spineboard, or backboard, is a patient handling device used primarily in pre-hospital trauma care designed to provide rigid support during movement of a patient with suspected spinal or limb injuries...

. The two ends of the stretcher can be detached from each other, splitting the stretcher into two longitudinal halves. To load a patient, one or both ends of the stretcher are detached, the halves placed under the patient from either side and fastened back together. With obese patients, the possibility exists of accidentally pinching the patient's back when closing the stretcher, so care must be made not to injure them when carrying out this procedure.

A reeves stretcher, or 'flexible stretcher', is a flexible stretcher that is supported longitudinally by wooden or plastic planks. It is a kind of tarpaulin with handles. It is primarily used to move a patient through confined spaces (e.g. a narrow hallway), or to lift obese patients (reeves stretchers have 6 handholds, allowing multiple rescuers to assist extrication). Law enforcement officers sometimes use the Reeves stretcher as a humane method of restraint.

To load the patient, the stretcher is folded, and the patient is rolled aside so the stretcher can be slid under him/her. The stretcher is then unfolded. For the patient's comfort, a dry sheet is often folded into the stretcher.

Other types of stretchers

• The Nimier stretcher (brancard Nimier) : this stretcher was used by the French army during World War I
  World War I
  World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
  
  . The casualty was placed on his back, but in a "seated position", (that is, the thighs were perpendicular to the abdomen). Thus, the stretcher was shorter and could turn in the trenches
  Trench warfare
  Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
  
   (see a picture).

• Hypothermia
  Hypothermia
  Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
  
   stretchers have insulation or heating elements to reduce the risk of hypothermia while in transit.

Most regular Spine boards do not have the "scoop function" as they are built in one piece. Some scoop stretchers may have the ability to function as the Spine board and Vacuum mattress and give a total spinal immobilization if they are built for that purpose and include spine board straps and a head immobilizer. The use of spine boards and vacuum mattresses must also include the use of a cervical immobilisation collar to provide a total spinal immobilization.

With healthcare changing, a new type of 'hybrid' device is now being used by healthcare facilities. This hybrid device is referred to as a 'Transmotion.' A 'Transmotion' is a type of medical patient handling device that combines the following devices into one; a stretcher, a recliner chair, and a treatment or procedural table. Nursing back injuries are ranking at an all-time high, and healthcare is demanding a more integrated device like the Transmotion.

See also

• Hospital bed
  Hospital bed
  A hospital bed is a bed specially designed for hospitalized patients or others in need of some form of health care. These beds have special features both for the comfort and well-being of the patient and for the convenience of health care workers...
  
  
• Gateleg table
  Gateleg table
  A gateleg table is a type of furniture first introduced in England in the 16th century. The table top has a fixed section and one or two hinged leaves, which, when not in use, folded down below the fixed section to hang vertically....
  
  
• Gurney
  Gurney
  A gurney, known as a trolley in British medical context, is the U.S. term for a type of stretcher used in modern hospitals and ambulances in developed areas. A hospital gurney is a kind of narrow bed on a wheeled frame which may be adjustable in height. For ambulances, a collapsible gurney is a...
  
  
• Casualty movement
  Casualty movement
  The casualty movement is the procedures used to move a casualty from the initial location to the ambulance....
  
  
• Litter (rescue basket)
  Litter (rescue basket)
  A litter is a stretcher or basket designed to be used where there are obstacles to movement or other hazards: for example, in confined spaces, on slopes, in wooded terrain. Typically it is shaped to accommodate an adult in a face up position and it is used in search and rescue operations. The...
  
  
• Stretcher-Chair