Casualty movement
Encyclopedia
The casualty movement is the procedures used to move a casualty from the initial location (street, home, workplace, wilderness, battlefield) to the ambulance
.
In wilderness or combat conditions, it may first be necessary to stabilize
the patient prior to moving them to avoid causing further injury. In such situations, evacuation may involve carrying the victim some distance on improvised stretchers, a travois
or other improvised carrying gear.
Once the patient is ready to be moved, the first step is the casualty lifting
, to put him on a stretcher
or litter (rescue basket)
. The final step is the patient transfer from the stretcher to the hospital bed.
The use of wheeled stretchers, usually used in most developed emergency services, does not need much explanation, except that great care must be taken in order to avoid to worsen an unstable trauma.
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...
.
In wilderness or combat conditions, it may first be necessary to stabilize
Stabilization (medicine)
Stabilization is a process to help prevent shock in sick or injured people. Stabilization is often performed by the first person to arrive on scene, EMTs or nurses before or just after arrival in hospital...
the patient prior to moving them to avoid causing further injury. In such situations, evacuation may involve carrying the victim some distance on improvised stretchers, a travois
Travois
A travois is a frame used by indigenous peoples, notably the Plains Indians of North America, to drag loads over land...
or other improvised carrying gear.
Once the patient is ready to be moved, the first step is the casualty lifting
Casualty lifting
Casualty lifting is the first step of casualty movement, an early aspect of emergency medical care. It is the procedure used to put the casualty on a stretcher....
, to put him on a stretcher
Stretcher
A stretcher is a medical device used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another. It is a simple type of litter, and still called by that name in some cases....
or 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...
. The final step is the patient transfer from the stretcher to the hospital bed.
The use of wheeled stretchers, usually used in most developed emergency services, does not need much explanation, except that great care must be taken in order to avoid to worsen an unstable trauma.
See also
- Transport of critically ill patients
- CASEVACCASEVACCasualty evacuation, also known as CASEVAC or by the callsign Dustoff, is a military term for the emergency patient evacuation of casualties from a combat zone. Casevac can be done by both ground and air...
- MEDEVACMEDEVACMedical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...