Ever Had a Fat Patient Break Your Back?

[EMS Solutions]

I figured with all these yes and no answer polls going around that wind up into a 3-4 page thread, why not start another?

[dahlio]

Not enough choices in your poll. I can't really say my back was broken, but I definitely pulled a muscle (which I'm sure everyone has done), which put me out of service for 3 days or so. Wasn't so much the weight, although it did contribute, it was more the way in which the pt. was lifted. I've been much more careful lately to use the knees, and not the back. Taught me a good lesson early, with little consequences.

[fiznat]

Yeah I've pulled my back lifting large patients before. Twice, actually.

With a question like that and a username like you've got, it sounds like you're about to try and sell us something.

[firespec35]

my dad had his back broke on a 500 pounder. 4 of them on the corners of the stretcher going down some ghetto stairs. Dad was on the lower side. Rookie stumbles on the stairs and puts all the weight on him. He finished the call then went to the ER. Turnedout he broke a low T-Spine (can't remember which one) he was out for 4 months. Kinda cool though. I was just coming on the road at that time so he ended up proctoring my EVOC while on light duty.

[EMS49393]

I'm not going to pick one of your choices simply because they do not fit in my case. I have broken my coccyx on a call, a long, long time ago. I blame my partner more than the heavy patient. Around ten years ago, I ran a respiratory distress in a nursing home in which the patient weighed in excess of four hundred pounds. After getting this patient on the stretcher using a slide board, we had to get our stretcher back up into the high position put it into the ambulance. The nursing home staff refused to assist us, citing a regulation stating they were not allowed to touch our stretchers. I had called for lifting help, and my partner promptly cancelled them. I asked him several times if he was sure we could lift her and he assured me that we would be fine, and that the patient was so critical that we didn't have time to weight for lifting help. We lifted, he dropped, I slid under the stretcher, landing on my keister, and it was donut cushion heaven for the next two months.

I don't blame the patient, but I do blame my partner for cancelling help. As a result of this accident, a critical patient had to wait for another ambulance and lifting help. I still don't know his reasoning behind trying to cowboy on this call, and I'm sure I'll never figure it out.

I'm very protective of my back, my partners back, and my patient. I'm only about 5 foot, 2 inches tall with my partner only having another four or so inches on me. I've learned to use my thighs to handle most of the weight load, and we practice lowering the stretcher to waist level for patient transfers. It unfortunate schools and employers do not spend more time teaching proper lifting techniques.

[SFV Tactical EMS]

Pulled my hamstring on a fat patient! Heard a pop and that was it...out of commission! :x

[hammerhead]

No back injuries of note (knock on wood), but I did pop an inguinal hernia! October 4th, 1986 - I only remember because it hurt so much! :-({|=

Adult male mental patient from the regional psych. hospital, at least 275 lbs., faking CP for the MS. Remember, this was mid 80's (dark ages), when we actually had to lift stretcher and patient from the ground (landing gear retracted) into the back of the bus. Ouch! Felt a little 'pop' 'down there', self-exam in the the ER revealed the bulge, 6 days later took the surgical cure.

Ahhh, the good old days!

Cheers!

Paul

[naturegirl]

I transported a 450 lb quad home once. All the way there I kept wondering how we were even going to unload the cot, let alone get him off of it. My driver was a 160 lb lady with a bad back. This man's wife takes one look at us and starts having a fit because even she knows there's no way we are going to get him into his special chair. Eventually the whole family had to pitch in, mad and all. Next time, I'm ordering lift help well in advance. It made me join a gym and start strength training so I don't end up permanently crippled.

[flight-lp]

Nope, always have enough help to prevent needless injuries from obese patients.............

[AnthonyM83]

I've pulled a muscle, only when my back was already weak from the gym or once I moved the wrong way and pulled something on the way to work...the lifting made it worse. All went away within a few days (knocks on wood...or something).