Stretchers get beefed up to handle obese

WILMINGTON, Ohio (AP) --The sharply rising number of obese Americans is
leading medical-equipment manufacturers and ambulance crews to supersize
their stretchers.

Manufacturers are adding thicker aluminum frames, bulkier connectors and
extra spine supports to create stretchers with a capacity of 650 pounds,
instead of the standard 350 to 500. Ambulance crews are switching to the
heavy-duty models to avoid injuries to rescue workers and patients alike.

"If the stretchers aren't big enough, a person may fall off. It's a
disaster. Or if the stretcher collapses, it can lead to injury for them or
the attendant," said Dr. Richard Atkinson, president of the American
Obesity Association.

No doctors or paramedics interviewed for this story could actually recall
any cases of overweight people breaking a stretcher or falling off one. But
they know of paramedics who have gotten hurt lifting heavy patients.

Josh Weiss, a spokesman for Southwest Ambulance, which serves the Phoenix
and Tucson, Arizona, areas, said the company's paramedics used to employ a
tarp to carry patients too big for a standard stretcher.

"You'd have to have five to 10 different firefighters lift it up. It was
unsafe for our units. There would be many physical problems for our crews,"
he said. "Back injuries would often occur."

Southwest, which operates 225 ambulances and answers more than 200,000
calls a year, recently replaced its stretchers with those that can handle
up to 650 pounds. It has also created a special unit with wider ambulances
that have special hydraulic lifts and shock absorbers to carry the obese.

A RAND Corp. study released this week found that the number of extremely
obese American adults -- those who are at least 100 pounds overweight --
has quadrupled since the 1980s to about 4 million. That works out to about
1 in every 50 adults.

Paramedics are noticing the difference.

"It just seems over the past couple of years we're hearing more often about
crews asking for extra personnel to come lift or special equipment to come
lift," said Craig Gravitz, chief paramedic for Denver Health Medical Center
in Colorado, which replaced some of its stretchers with the 650-pound
model.

Ferno-Washington Inc. of Wilmington added an emergency stretcher with a
650-pound weight capacity to its product line in 2002. Sales of the
reinforced models have almost doubled those of their predecessors, which
could hold 500 pounds or less, said president Joe Bourgraf. The heavy-duty
model typically sells for $3,000, or about $500 more. It is also available
with attachments that can increase the stretcher's surface area.

Similarly, Stryker Corp. of Kalamazoo, Michigan, started making a 650-pound
capacity stretcher last year, and said it has become a top-seller.

"We live in a society where unfortunately people seem to be putting on
weight, so it seems to be well-attuned to that market," said chief
financial officer Dean Bergy.

Marc Schwartz, an emergency medical technician in New York City, said
heavy-duty stretchers and other improvements in equipment -- such as
ergonomically designed handles -- have helped reduce the risk of injury.

"If we had the right equipment, two people could handle the heavier
people," he said.


-- Steve
º¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤º
Steve Chaney

Remove "Vegetus." to get my real email address
See the soc.singles HALL OF STUPID:
http://member.newsguy.com/~gunhed/hallofstupid
"If only sheep could cook, we wouldn't need women at all! 8)" - Dizzy,
Message-ID:
"Outside of this group, I don't remember hearing anyone in RL say that fat
people are worthless." - some anonymous coward admitting the truth,
Message-ID:
"I watched The Accused last night with Jodie Foster. Tough movie. I was
wondering what people felt as to whether or not they feel she deserved what
happened to her." - Brenda Lee Ehmka, Message-ID:

"Jade, your whole existence is spent trying to find people you can justify
vetting your rage toward thorugh all forms of harassment. Do you realize
that?" - Sunny, on Jade's life in a nutshell

"Steve Chaney, aka Papa Gunnykins ®" wrote in
message ...
WILMINGTON, Ohio (AP) --The sharply rising number of obese Americans is
leading medical-equipment manufacturers and ambulance crews to supersize
their stretchers.

much snippage

Shouldn't that just be left to natural selection? Too fat to be handled
safely by two EMTs, too fat to save.

Steve the (ducking and running) Geek

--
------
If they hear, they do not listen.
If they listen, they do not understand.
If they understand, they do not *obey*.

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 18:02:39 GMT, "Steve Kleine"
wrote:

"Steve Chaney, aka Papa Gunnykins ®"
wrote in message ...
WILMINGTON, Ohio (AP) --The sharply rising number of obese
Americans is leading medical-equipment manufacturers and ambulance
crews to supersize their stretchers.

much snippage

Shouldn't that just be left to natural selection? Too fat to be
handled safely by two EMTs, too fat to save.

Steve the (ducking and running) Geek

You should run ****wit.

LV

Remove "intel" from address to reply

Lady Veteran
- -----------------------------------
"I rode a tank and held a general's rank
when the blitzkrieg raged and the bodies stank..."
- -Rolling Stones, Sympathy for the Devil
- ------------------------------------------------
Support bacteria - they're the only culture
some people have." -Stephen Wright
- -------------------------------------------
He who thinks by the inch and talks by the
yard deserves to be kicked by the foot.
- Anonymous
- ---------------------------------------------
Ridicule of fat people is never acceptable.
Those who insist on doing this are living
examples of that old Chinese proverb:

Keep mouth closed and be thought a fool:
Open mouth and remove all doubt.

In other words, they are idiots.
- -------------------------------------------------


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Version: PGP 8.0 - not licensed for commercial use: www.pgp.com

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__________________________________________________ _____________________________
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The Worlds Uncensored News Source

(Steve Chaney, aka Papa Gunnykins ®) wrote in message ...
WILMINGTON, Ohio (AP) --The sharply rising number of obese Americans is
leading medical-equipment manufacturers and ambulance crews to supersize
their stretchers.

Manufacturers are adding thicker aluminum frames, bulkier connectors and
extra spine supports to create stretchers with a capacity of 650 pounds,
instead of the standard 350 to 500. Ambulance crews are switching to the
heavy-duty models to avoid injuries to rescue workers and patients alike.

"If the stretchers aren't big enough, a person may fall off. It's a
disaster. Or if the stretcher collapses, it can lead to injury for them or
the attendant," said Dr. Richard Atkinson, president of the American
Obesity Association.

No doctors or paramedics interviewed for this story could actually recall
any cases of overweight people breaking a stretcher or falling off one. But
they know of paramedics who have gotten hurt lifting heavy patients.

Josh Weiss, a spokesman for Southwest Ambulance, which serves the Phoenix
and Tucson, Arizona, areas, said the company's paramedics used to employ a
tarp to carry patients too big for a standard stretcher.

"You'd have to have five to 10 different firefighters lift it up. It was
unsafe for our units. There would be many physical problems for our crews,"
he said. "Back injuries would often occur."

Southwest, which operates 225 ambulances and answers more than 200,000
calls a year, recently replaced its stretchers with those that can handle
up to 650 pounds. It has also created a special unit with wider ambulances
that have special hydraulic lifts and shock absorbers to carry the obese.

A RAND Corp. study released this week found that the number of extremely
obese American adults -- those who are at least 100 pounds overweight --
has quadrupled since the 1980s to about 4 million. That works out to about
1 in every 50 adults.

Paramedics are noticing the difference.

"It just seems over the past couple of years we're hearing more often about
crews asking for extra personnel to come lift or special equipment to come
lift," said Craig Gravitz, chief paramedic for Denver Health Medical Center
in Colorado, which replaced some of its stretchers with the 650-pound
model.

Ferno-Washington Inc. of Wilmington added an emergency stretcher with a
650-pound weight capacity to its product line in 2002. Sales of the
reinforced models have almost doubled those of their predecessors, which
could hold 500 pounds or less, said president Joe Bourgraf. The heavy-duty
model typically sells for $3,000, or about $500 more. It is also available
with attachments that can increase the stretcher's surface area.

Similarly, Stryker Corp. of Kalamazoo, Michigan, started making a 650-pound
capacity stretcher last year, and said it has become a top-seller.

"We live in a society where unfortunately people seem to be putting on
weight, so it seems to be well-attuned to that market," said chief
financial officer Dean Bergy.

Marc Schwartz, an emergency medical technician in New York City, said
heavy-duty stretchers and other improvements in equipment -- such as
ergonomically designed handles -- have helped reduce the risk of injury.

"If we had the right equipment, two people could handle the heavier
people," he said.


-- Steve
º€º°`°º€ø,¸¸,ø€º°`°º€º
Steve Chaney


A new requirement for EMS training is a powerlifting/weight training program.
That is solving the problem.

C.

I used to work search and rescue during the summers at an unnamed (to
protect the innocent!) place. Was a backpacking place serving ages 14 and up
of both genders. We actually had to put a limit on the weight of
participants after liter carriers got injured carrying a "heavy human" (and
yes they upped the carriers from six to eight on that case as well). Amazed
me how ****ed people got when our medical staff would not clear them,
despite haveing the weight limitations listed on the physical they must get
before participating (and why their home doctors went ahead and approved i
will never know). Exceptions are very rare and typically were only granted
to those whos extra mass over the limit was LBM, and not fat (danger to
carriers is still the same, but liklyhood of needing a carry is much much
less, after implementing the program number of carry's dropped by about 66%
from an almost weekly basis to an occasional deal).

Now from the search and rescue standpoint i have branched into another area
of concern... Suppose Fatass A gets in a car accident and needs an emergency
airlift.... Helicopter arrives to transport and realizes that Fatass A would
put the helicopter in a dangerous weight and balance condition, Fatass A
would then be required to go by ground because he would crash the helicopter
(don't think its happened but helicopters are very picky about WB and CG
location so i bet its possible). Would the cause of death from using the
slower transport be ruled to the accident, obesity, or mechanics of
transport?





"Steve Chaney, aka Papa Gunnykins ®" wrote in
message ...
WILMINGTON, Ohio (AP) --The sharply rising number of obese Americans is
leading medical-equipment manufacturers and ambulance crews to supersize
their stretchers.

Manufacturers are adding thicker aluminum frames, bulkier connectors and
extra spine supports to create stretchers with a capacity of 650 pounds,
instead of the standard 350 to 500. Ambulance crews are switching to the
heavy-duty models to avoid injuries to rescue workers and patients alike.

"If the stretchers aren't big enough, a person may fall off. It's a
disaster. Or if the stretcher collapses, it can lead to injury for them or
the attendant," said Dr. Richard Atkinson, president of the American
Obesity Association.

No doctors or paramedics interviewed for this story could actually recall
any cases of overweight people breaking a stretcher or falling off one.
But
they know of paramedics who have gotten hurt lifting heavy patients.

Josh Weiss, a spokesman for Southwest Ambulance, which serves the Phoenix
and Tucson, Arizona, areas, said the company's paramedics used to employ a
tarp to carry patients too big for a standard stretcher.

"You'd have to have five to 10 different firefighters lift it up. It was
unsafe for our units. There would be many physical problems for our
crews,"
he said. "Back injuries would often occur."

Southwest, which operates 225 ambulances and answers more than 200,000
calls a year, recently replaced its stretchers with those that can handle
up to 650 pounds. It has also created a special unit with wider ambulances
that have special hydraulic lifts and shock absorbers to carry the obese.

A RAND Corp. study released this week found that the number of extremely
obese American adults -- those who are at least 100 pounds overweight --
has quadrupled since the 1980s to about 4 million. That works out to about
1 in every 50 adults.

Paramedics are noticing the difference.

"It just seems over the past couple of years we're hearing more often
about
crews asking for extra personnel to come lift or special equipment to come
lift," said Craig Gravitz, chief paramedic for Denver Health Medical
Center
in Colorado, which replaced some of its stretchers with the 650-pound
model.

Ferno-Washington Inc. of Wilmington added an emergency stretcher with a
650-pound weight capacity to its product line in 2002. Sales of the
reinforced models have almost doubled those of their predecessors, which
could hold 500 pounds or less, said president Joe Bourgraf. The heavy-duty
model typically sells for $3,000, or about $500 more. It is also available
with attachments that can increase the stretcher's surface area.

Similarly, Stryker Corp. of Kalamazoo, Michigan, started making a
650-pound
capacity stretcher last year, and said it has become a top-seller.

"We live in a society where unfortunately people seem to be putting on
weight, so it seems to be well-attuned to that market," said chief
financial officer Dean Bergy.

Marc Schwartz, an emergency medical technician in New York City, said
heavy-duty stretchers and other improvements in equipment -- such as
ergonomically designed handles -- have helped reduce the risk of injury.

"If we had the right equipment, two people could handle the heavier
people," he said.


-- Steve
º¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤º
Steve Chaney

Remove "Vegetus." to get my real email address
See the soc.singles HALL OF STUPID:
http://member.newsguy.com/~gunhed/hallofstupid
"If only sheep could cook, we wouldn't need women at all! 8)" - Dizzy,
Message-ID:
"Outside of this group, I don't remember hearing anyone in RL say that fat
people are worthless." - some anonymous coward admitting the truth,
Message-ID:
"I watched The Accused last night with Jodie Foster. Tough movie. I was
wondering what people felt as to whether or not they feel she deserved
what
happened to her." - Brenda Lee Ehmka, Message-ID:

"Jade, your whole existence is spent trying to find people you can justify
vetting your rage toward thorugh all forms of harassment. Do you realize
that?" - Sunny, on Jade's life in a nutshell

"Lady Veteran" wrote in message
...
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 18:02:39 GMT, "Steve Kleine"
wrote:

"Steve Chaney, aka Papa Gunnykins ®"
wrote in message ...
WILMINGTON, Ohio (AP) --The sharply rising number of obese
Americans is leading medical-equipment manufacturers and ambulance
crews to supersize their stretchers.

much snippage

Shouldn't that just be left to natural selection? Too fat to be
handled safely by two EMTs, too fat to save.

Steve the (ducking and running) Geek

You should run ****wit.

LV

Remove "intel" from address to reply

Lady Veteran

Ah, the harsh realities of natural selection. Maybe this is how humans are
getting back into the evolutionary game. Instead of survival of everyone
we'll cut off the obese.

I have no sympathy for people with a condition that is totally within their
control. I have nothing against the obese but when you sue McDonald's for
making you fat you're just asking to be mocked.

Nobody forces anyone to overeat. People make their choices and should accept
responsibility for what they choose to do. I at times don't watch what I'm
doing and don't blame anyone else for the extra 15 lbs. I just have fond
memories of all the Krispy Kreme's it took to get there. I make a choice to
gorge and then I make a choice to eat sanely and drop the pounds.

Demetri

"nooneimportant" wrote in message
news:rUmkb.814972$Ho3.223561@sccrnsc03...
I used to work search and rescue during the summers at an unnamed (to
protect the innocent!) place. Was a backpacking place serving ages 14 and
up
of both genders. We actually had to put a limit on the weight of
participants after liter carriers got injured carrying a "heavy human"
(and
yes they upped the carriers from six to eight on that case as well).
Amazed
me how ****ed people got when our medical staff would not clear them,
despite haveing the weight limitations listed on the physical they must
get
before participating (and why their home doctors went ahead and approved i
will never know). Exceptions are very rare and typically were only
granted
to those whos extra mass over the limit was LBM, and not fat (danger to
carriers is still the same, but liklyhood of needing a carry is much much
less, after implementing the program number of carry's dropped by about
66%
from an almost weekly basis to an occasional deal).

Now from the search and rescue standpoint i have branched into another
area
of concern... Suppose Fatass A gets in a car accident and needs an
emergency
airlift.... Helicopter arrives to transport and realizes that Fatass A
would
put the helicopter in a dangerous weight and balance condition, Fatass A
would then be required to go by ground because he would crash the
helicopter
(don't think its happened but helicopters are very picky about WB and CG
location so i bet its possible). Would the cause of death from using the
slower transport be ruled to the accident, obesity, or mechanics of
transport?




I would list the cause of death as cosmic irony. From an insurance stand
point the accident is the proximate cause of the injuries and therefore the
cause of death.

Poor, poor fatass. He was going to die sometime.

Demetri

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 12:15:37 GMT, "Demetri Karavas"
wrote:


"Lady Veteran" wrote in message
.. .
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 18:02:39 GMT, "Steve Kleine"
wrote:

"Steve Chaney, aka Papa Gunnykins ®"
wrote in message ...
WILMINGTON, Ohio (AP) --The sharply rising number of obese
Americans is leading medical-equipment manufacturers and ambulance
crews to supersize their stretchers.

much snippage

Shouldn't that just be left to natural selection? Too fat to be
handled safely by two EMTs, too fat to save.

Steve the (ducking and running) Geek

You should run ****wit.

LV

Remove "intel" from address to reply

Lady Veteran

Ah, the harsh realities of natural selection. Maybe this is how humans are
getting back into the evolutionary game. Instead of survival of everyone
we'll cut off the obese.

I have no sympathy for people with a condition that is totally within their
control. I have nothing against the obese but when you sue McDonald's for
making you fat you're just asking to be mocked.

Nobody forces anyone to overeat. People make their choices and should accept
responsibility for what they choose to do. I at times don't watch what I'm
doing and don't blame anyone else for the extra 15 lbs. I just have fond
memories of all the Krispy Kreme's it took to get there. I make a choice to
gorge and then I make a choice to eat sanely and drop the pounds.

Demetri


On the other hand, have you ever known anyone chronically obese who
was "unable" to slim down?

I think it's more that the solution is simple and within anyone's
power, but few people get to the point of discovering it or realize
that they can. Overeating is a behavioral disorder like addiction, and
if it were truly trivial to change there would be no obesity.

As with any other compulsive behavior, resolution comes when you
realize the pain of changing is less than the pain of staying the
same. Some people have a pretty big tolerance for pain.

But frankly, the solution IS very, very simple. Eat less and move
more. Simple, but not necessarily easy. I've known plenty of people
who have resisted this and remain obese. Several in my family. However
my own weight loss was just that simple, and the key was just doing
it.

Anyway, I've begun rambling - my point is only that even though the
solution to obesity is simple, the behavior and psychology of the
compulsive overeater is not, especially if you've never been there.

Like the last time I went to the doctor with a chest cold. I said I
get these darn things every fall, and he told me "well, just quit
smoking". Doh! What a simple, elegant solution! Unfortunately, not
very easy.

"Demetri Karavas" wrote in message news:Jfvkb.124462$9l5.9326@pd7tw2no...

I have no sympathy for people

That is apparent.

with a condition that is totally within their control.

You do not know that.

I have nothing against the obese

is that why you think they ought to be weeded out?

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 12:15:37 GMT, "Demetri Karavas"
wrote:


"Lady Veteran" wrote in message
.. .
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 18:02:39 GMT, "Steve Kleine"
wrote:

"Steve Chaney, aka Papa Gunnykins ®"
wrote in message
...
WILMINGTON, Ohio (AP) --The sharply rising number of obese
Americans is leading medical-equipment manufacturers and
ambulance crews to supersize their stretchers.

much snippage

Shouldn't that just be left to natural selection? Too fat to be
handled safely by two EMTs, too fat to save.

Steve the (ducking and running) Geek

You should run ****wit.

LV

Remove "intel" from address to reply

Lady Veteran

Ah, the harsh realities of natural selection. Maybe this is how
humans are getting back into the evolutionary game. Instead of
survival of everyone we'll cut off the obese.


You would of course....your loss of course.

I have no sympathy for people with a condition that is totally
within their control. I have nothing against the obese but when you
sue McDonald's for making you fat you're just asking to be mocked.

Those who believe in stereotypes are doomed to receive their fair
share. Ridicule of fat people is not acceptable.

Nobody forces anyone to overeat. People make their choices and
should accept responsibility for what they choose to do. I at times
don't watch what I'm doing and don't blame anyone else for the extra
15 lbs. I just have fond memories of all the Krispy Kreme's it took
to get there. I make a choice to gorge and then I make a choice to
eat sanely and drop the pounds.

If it were a matter of 15 extra pounds that is one thing. why do you
feel the need to put people down? Are you that small in stature?

They say that drinking mountain dew shrinks testicles-are you a
textbook case?


Demetri

LV

Remove "intel" from address to reply

Lady Veteran
- -----------------------------------
"I rode a tank and held a general's rank
when the blitzkrieg raged and the bodies stank..."
- -Rolling Stones, Sympathy for the Devil
- ------------------------------------------------
Support bacteria - they're the only culture
some people have." -Stephen Wright
- -------------------------------------------
He who thinks by the inch and talks by the
yard deserves to be kicked by the foot.
- Anonymous
- ---------------------------------------------
Ridicule of fat people is never acceptable.
Those who insist on doing this are living
examples of that old Chinese proverb:

Keep mouth closed and be thought a fool:
Open mouth and remove all doubt.

In other words, they are idiots.
- -------------------------------------------------


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__________________________________________________ _____________________________
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The Worlds Uncensored News Source