Stryker PowerPro stretchers

[AZCEP]

I like the idea of having something HELP with the heaviest patients. I also like the idea of not having to lift anyone at all. Just as soon as the teleportation technology is available for public use, I'm all over it.

Until then, put down the donuts and coffee, do some physical training that simulates your job function, and quit whining.

[Oilersfan1]

You are right Dustdevil if it causes an injury it isn't the solution.

[GhostMedic28]

I would love for my service to put the Stryker Power Pro stretchers in service, but they (management) are too cheap to buy them. I do physical training, but there is only so much one person can lift. I work in a rural area, where usually it is just me and my partner and on more than one occasion, I have been placed with a female who weighs all of 115lbs and can't lift, even if her life depended on it.

Now I am not saying that females shouldn't be in EMS, but I think a physical assessment test or physical agility test should be required prior to employment so that the individual can demonstrate the ability to perform the essential functions of the job. This applies to both males and females.

[scott33]

Personally, I am not too impressed. That extra few lbs can make all the difference if you already have an obese pt, and sometimes extra hands are limited. Although it does lessen the lifting, it certainly doesn't eradicate it, so back injuries are still a possibility.

The plus side is it is way easier to lower the center of gravity when the pt is on the stretcher, allowing for a more secure transfer over uneven ground.

Worth 14 grand though? Not if they don't have the statistics to back it up.

We may just get one or two, and let the duty crews decide what they want to use.

[Ridryder 911]

$14 K.. Wow.! Someone is taking you to the cleaners, a brand new one we are considering purchasing is only $9K... with all the whistles... Yes, they are worth it, if the extra 30 pounds is going to kill you something is wrong.. take of the packs, and all the gizmos on your waist. Repetitive lifting is what ruins medics back, not necessarily the amount on one call.... review workmens comp cases and see how a much a back injury costs the service..

Sure their not the "end all", but in a few years, one will wonder whatever happened to "manual cots"; I heard the same gripe when everyone went from the traditional two man lift to the folding cots...

If you have not used them, you really do not have an actual opinion then...

R/r 911

[scott33]

If you have not used them, you really do not have an actual opinion then...

R/r 911

Have been using them for a couple of weeks on a trial basis... Long enough to form the opinion that they are not problem-free.

There are good points and bad points to them, just like everything else.

[VillageEMT]

I'm wondering what problems you have had. We have been using one for about eight months and love it. We have just ordered a second one.

[medic403]

Hello all. a couple things on these stretchers. our service has recently recieved 2 loaner ferno's. I am not sure of the weight of these but there is more than a simple 30-40 pound difference in weight. I am only 5' 1" and if I have an average weight pt (180lbs), and the rig is at a slight angle, then I can not get the stretcher in. It is much to heavy for me. I do have partners that are taller and I usually try to lean on them to take the high end of the stretcher because of the height issue. I have no issue holding my own. but I think that extra weight is an issue that needs some attention, I could feel it in my back when the day was done.

I like the factor that the wheels go up and down all on their own. but I can still see injuries from this type of stretcher. Is the stryker lighter then ferno.

Second thing I dislike about the ferno is the handle. I realize you can adjust it to your likings but I still have to shift weight of the cot from one hand to another to reach the stinkin button. aw the stress. but some one has to have it.lol

[JakeEMTP]

403,

Just a thought, but do you and your partner both hold the stretcher while the wheels go up? We do this and my partner is very petite. As you are aware, once the head end is in the ambo, both of you could be on the foot end and hold it untill the wheels have collapsed fully. Half the work makes Jake a happy camper!

[VillageEMT]

403,

You mentioned the very points that decided us against the Ferno and for the Stryker. We found that the controls were much better on the Stryker and the battery replacement is simpler. Also the Ferno has a nasty pinch point on the side of the frame. The power cots do weigh about 40 pounds more and we notice this the most when one person is trying to bring it into a pt's house alone. One other feature we really like is the rapid wheel up motion when the weight is off the wheels as you load the cot into the ambulance. We had a 500+ lbs pt the other day and having the wheels retract in less than 2 sec. was great.

Note: We are a volunteer squad, that means that we all have "day jobs", in this case most of us are engineers. The group that evaluated the two power cots consisted of four senior engineers and a senior test technician with a combined EMS experience of over 105 years.

John, Sr Systems Engineer, BAE Systems

Somewhere in the world a commercial jet takes off using our electronics - every three seconds.