Powered stretchers may reduce injuries in paramedics

April 17 (UPI) -- Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada has found that powered stretchers may reduce the risk of injuries to paramedics compared to manual stretchers.

The study found that battery-powered hydraulic stretchers and an assisted ambulance-loading feature reduced the number of musculoskeletal injuries to paramedics by 78 percent.

Researchers compared injury rates over a one-year period at Niagara Emergency Medical Service which used powered stretchers compared to Hamilton Paramedic Services who used manual stretchers.

"In many cases, paramedics face spine compression that is well above the threshold limit," Steven Fischer, assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Waterloo, said in a press release. "A manual stretcher alone can weigh nearly 100 pounds. Add on a 200-pound patient and a paramedic team is handling 300 pounds every time they raise, lower, lift or load the stretcher. We estimate that a paramedic is lifting more than 1,700 pounds per shift on average, approximately the same weight as moving all of the furniture in a one-bedroom apartment."

Researchers found that stretcher-related injuries among Niagara paramedics dropped from 20 injuries per every 100 workers per year to 4.3 injuries per every 100 workers. While in Hamilton, injuries from using the manual stretchers over a one-year period increased from 17.9 per every 100 workers to 24.6 per every 100 workers.

"For paramedics, lifting and loading is a common element to almost each and every call," Fischer said. "Knowing the initial costs can be recovered should help ease the concerns of decision makers considering a transition to powered stretcher and load systems. Without them, it's not a question of if injuries will happen, but when and how many."

The cost of a powered stretcher and lift system is about $40,000 each.

"Although the units may seem expensive, they appear to offer a significant return on investment," Daniel Armstrong, a graduate student in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo, said. "We found that the added cost to purchase power stretchers and load systems would be recovered within their expected seven-year service life due to the reduction in injury-related costs."

The study was published in Applied Ergonomics.