View source for Stretcher

{{Short description|Equipment for moving patients in need of medical care}}
{{other uses}}{{use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Redirect|Gurney|people called Gurney|Gurney (surname)|the type of monkey vocalization|Girneys}}
{{more medical citations needed|date=December 2012}}
[[File:MS1 on stretcher.jpg|thumb|EMTs using a stretcher in 2001.]]
[[File:ASC Leiden - Coutinho Collection - F 37 - Life in Sara, Guinea-Bissau - Armed escort carrying the wounded to the Senegalese border - 1974.tif|thumb|Armed escort carries the wounded to the Senegalese border, Guinea-Bissau, 1974.]]
A '''stretcher''', '''gurney''', '''litter''', or '''pram'''<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QesppquBwgsC&q=stretcher+pram+slang&pg=PT2458|title=Stretcher |encyclopedia=New American Roget's College Thesaurus in Dictionary Form|isbn=9781101220085 |last1=Morehead |first1=Philip D. |date=July 2002 |publisher=Penguin }}</ref> is an [[medical device|apparatus]] used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or cart) is often equipped with variable height frames, wheels, tracks, or skids. 

Stretchers are primarily used in [[Acute (medicine)|acute]] out-of-hospital care situations by [[emergency medical services]] (EMS), military, and [[search and rescue]] personnel. In medical forensics, the right arm of a corpse is left hanging off the stretcher to let paramedics know it is a deceased person. They are also used to restrain prisoners during executions via [[lethal injection]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1815535,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626145000/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1815535,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 26, 2008|title=A Brief History of Lethal Injection|date=10 November 2009|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Fisher's Chair Stretcher 1865. Wellcome L0002114EB.jpg|thumb|Illustration of chair stretcher, "On the Transport of sick and wounded troops", 1868.]]
[[File:BNF Français 9749, fo. 67v, c.1380.jpg|thumb|A wounded knight is carried on a medieval stretcher.]]
An early stretcher, likely made of wicker over a frame, appears in a manuscript from {{circa|1380}}.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8455786x|title=Valère-Maxime, Facta et Dicta memorabilia traduction françaiseSimon de Hesdin (Livres I-IV)|year=1375}}</ref> Simple stretchers were common with militaries right through the middle of the 20th century.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://kabarluwuraya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Stretchers.pdf | title=A short history of stretchers | first=Peter | last=Bell | website=kabarluwuraya.com}}</ref>

==Gurney==
Generally spelled ''gurney'', but also ''guerney'' or ''girney''.<ref>{{cite book|editor=Normand Louis Hoerr |others=Arthur Osol|title=New Gould Medical Dictionary|url=https://archive.org/details/blakistonsnewgou00hoer |url-access=registration |edition=2|year=1956|publisher=Blakiston Division, McGraw-Hill|location=New York}}</ref> The first usage of the term for a wheeled stretcher is unclear, but it is believed to have been derived from Pacific Coast slang.<ref>{{cite journal|date=April 1904|title=Guerney|journal=Carriage Monthly|publisher=Ware Brothers Publishing|location=Philadelphia|volume=40|page=140|oclc=2448762|quote=The Guerney is a contraction of the Guerney cab. patented by J. T. Guerney, Boston, Mass., and in modified form is now considerably used. Many vehicles on the Pacific Coast are termed "guerneys," though they are anything else.}}</ref> Its use in a hospital context was established by the 1930s.<ref>{{cite journal|year=1921|title=Section 2|journal=Hospital Management|publisher=Clissold Publishing Company|volume=11|page=47|quote=The base of the ordinary food and laundry gurney is used}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Stolen Hospital Guerney is Found|date=11 January 1935|work=Oakland Tribune| publisher = [[Ancestry.com#Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

==Classification==
[[File:Stretcher miloufs.jpg|thumb|A simple stretcher used by [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marines]] in a training environment in December 2003.]]
[[File:Marine CASEVAC Fallujah.jpg|right|thumb|U.S. Marines transport a non-ambulatory [[patient]], outside of [[Fallujah]], [[Iraq]] in 2006]]
EMS stretchers used in [[ambulance]]s have wheels that makes transportation over pavement easier, and have a lock inside the ambulance and straps to secure the patient during transport. An integral lug on the stretcher locks into a sprung latch within the ambulance in order to prevent movement during transport. Modern stretchers may also have battery-powered hydraulics to raise and collapse the legs automatically. This eases the workload on EMS personnel, who are statistically at high risk of back injury from repetitive raising and lowering of patients. Specialized bariatric stretchers are also available, which feature a wider frame and higher weight capacity for heavier patients. Stretchers are usually covered with a disposable sheet or wrapping, and are cleaned after each use to prevent the spread of infection. Shelves, hooks and poles for medical equipment and intravenous medication are also frequently included.

Standard stretchers have several adjustments. The bed can be raised or lowered to facilitate patient transfer. The head of the stretcher can be raised so that the patient is in a sitting position (especially important for those in respiratory distress) or lowered flat in order to perform [[Cardiopulmonary resuscitation|CPR]], or for patients with suspected spinal injury who must be transported on a [[spinal board]]. The feet can be raised to what is called the [[Trendelenburg position]], indicated for patients in [[shock (circulatory)|shock]].

Some manufacturers have begun to offer hybrid devices that combine the functionality of a stretcher, a recliner chair, and a treatment or procedural table into one device.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.transmotionmedical.com/|title=Stretcher Chairs and Medical Supplies|work=transmotionmedical.com}}</ref>

=== Basic stretchers ===
[[File:Civiere a aubes.jpg|thumb|Scoop stretcher]]

* Simple stretchers are the most rudimentary type. They are lightweight and portable, made of canvas or other synthetic material suspended between two poles or tubular aluminum frame. Many are stored as disaster supplies and are often former military equipment.
* The folding stretcher, also known as a ''top deck'' or ''collapsible stretcher'', is similar in design to the simple stretcher, but features one or more hinged points of articulation to allow the stretcher to be collapsed into a more compact form for easier handling or storage. Some models may even allow the patient to sit upright in a [[Fowler's position|Fowler's or Semi-Fowler's position]].
* The Roberson orthopedic stretcher or ''[[scoop stretcher]]'' is used for lifting patients, for instance from the ground onto an ambulance stretcher or onto a [[spinal board]]. The two ends of the stretcher can be detached from each other, splitting the stretcher into two longitudinal halves. To load a patient, one or both ends of the stretcher are detached, the halves placed under the patient from either side and fastened back together.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Emergency: Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured |publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning |year=2021 |isbn=9781284243833 |editor-last=Pollak |editor-first=Andrew N. |edition=12th |location=Burlington, MA |pages=311}}</ref> With obese patients, the possibility exists of accidentally pinching the patient's back when closing the stretcher, so care must be made not to injure them when carrying out this procedure.
* The ''[[Litter (rescue basket)|litter]]'', also known as a basket stretcher or ''Stokes litter,'' is designed to be used where there are obstacles to movement or other hazards: for example, in confined spaces, on slopes, in wooded terrain.<ref name=":0" /> Typically it is shaped to accommodate an adult in a face up position and it is used in search and rescue operations. The person is strapped into the basket, making safe evacuation possible. The litter has raised sides and often includes a removable head/torso cover for patient protection. After the person is secured in the litter, the litter may be wheeled, carried by hand, mounted on an ATV, towed behind skis, snowmobile, or horse, lifted or lowered on high angle ropes, or hoisted by helicopter.
* The ''WauK board'' is also designed for use in small spaces. The patient is secured to the board with straps. It has two wheels and a foldable footrest at one end, allowing the patient to be moved by one person, much as with a [[hand truck]] for moving cargo. It can also be used at a variety of angles, making it easier to traverse obstacles, such as tight stairwells.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.waukboard.com/ems-cot-stair-chair-backboard/ | title=the WauK board | access-date=2014-04-06 | archive-date=2017-07-07 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707131346/https://www.waukboard.com/ems-cot-stair-chair-backboard/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* The [[Neil Robertson stretcher]] is a stretcher designed for securely transporting injured individuals through narrow and confined spaces, such as steep ladders, small hatchways, and narrow passages. The Neil Robertson stretcher is widely used in maritime settings, particularly by naval forces and maritime rescue team.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fahey |first=David |date=2015 |title=Eponymous Stretchers: Stretchers named after their Inventors |url=https://stjohn.org.au/assets/uploads/history%20journal/History_vol_15.pdf#page=17 |journal=The Journal of the St. John Ambulance Historical Society of Australia |volume=15 |issue=12 |pages=13–19 |via=Google Scholar}}</ref>

=== Flexible stretchers ===
A flexible stretcher, also known by the [[brand name]]s Reeves sleeve or SKED,{{NoteTag|Not an acronym: rather, a [[portmanteau]] of [[:wikt:skid|skid]] and [[:wikt:sled|sled]].<ref name=sked>{{cite web|url=https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcfrs-psta/Resources/Files/Driver/20150319/DT_KnowledgeBase/ManufacturerLinks/SKED.pdf|title=Instructions and user manual|year=2014|access-date=2023-12-11|work=SKED®: The complete rescue system|location=Tualatin, Oregon, United States|publisher=Skedco Inc.|page=12}}</ref>|name=skednote}}  is a stretcher that is often supported longitudinally by wooden or plastic planks. Essentially a [[tarpaulin]] with handles, it is primarily used to [[Confined space rescue|move a patient through confined spaces]], e.g., a narrow [[hallway]], or to lift [[obese]] patients.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lSqeHiQrCs4C&dq=reeves+stretcher+named+after&pg=PA697|page=697|title=Aehlert's EMT-basic Study Guide
|last=Aehlert|first=Barbara|year=1998|publisher=[[Williams & Wilkins]]|isbn=9780683302172}}</ref> Reeves stretchers have six handholds, allowing multiple rescuers to assist extrication.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stretchers Immobilization, Reeves Sleeve II, 122 & Dragable, Reeves Flexible Stretcher 101 & 103– Reeves EMS |url=http://www.reevesems.com/Products/StretchersImobilization.aspx |access-date=4 April 2018 |website=www.reevesems.com}}</ref>

=== Wheeled stretchers ===
For ambulances, a collapsible wheeled stretcher, or gurney, is a type of stretcher on a variable-height wheeled frame. Normally, an integral [[:wikt:lug|lug]] on the stretcher locks into a sprung [[latch (hardware)|latch]] within the ambulance in order to prevent movement during transport, often referred to as antlers due to their shape. It is usually covered with a disposable sheet and cleaned after each patient in order to prevent the spread of infection. Its key value is to facilitate moving the patient and sheet onto a fixed bed or table on arrival at the [[emergency department]]. Both types may have straps to secure the patient.



=== Types of stretchers ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Type of stretcher
! Features
! Industrial example
|-
| '''Manual stretcher'''
| No wheels; carried by two or more people.
| Compact Stretcher – Lightweight foldable model with safety straps.<ref>[https://royax.eu/compact-stretcher/ Compact Stretcher – Royax Official Website]</ref>
|-
| '''Wheeled stretcher'''
| Equipped with wheels and height-adjustable base; commonly used in ambulances.
| Valens RX6 – Stretcher with assisted lifting system and pneumatic height adjustment.<ref>[https://royax.eu/valens-rx6-stretcher/ Valens RX6 Stretcher – Royax Official Website]</ref>
|-
| '''Folding stretcher'''
| Designed for field or military use; can be folded into several sections.
| 3 Fold Stretcher – Three-section aluminum folding stretcher with patient straps.<ref>[https://royax.eu/3-fold-stretcher/ 3 Fold Stretcher – Royax Official Website]</ref>
|-
| '''Basket stretcher'''
| Features protective sides; used in mountain or water rescue operations.
| Basket Stretcher – Impact-resistant design with rope attachment for aerial transport.<ref>[https://royax.eu/basket-stretcher/ Basket Stretcher – Royax Official Website]</ref>
|-
| '''Detachable stretcher'''
| Can be separated from its base; allows easy transfer from bed or ground.
| Sarir Stretcher – Modular design suitable for ambulance and hospital environments.<ref>[https://royax.eu/sarir-stretcher/ Sarir Stretcher – Royax Official Website]</ref>
|-
| '''Convertible stretcher'''
| Can be transformed into a chair position; suitable for confined spaces.
| Arsh Stretcher – Convertible model for corridors or aircraft use.<ref>[https://royax.eu/arsh-stretcher/ Arsh Stretcher – Royax Official Website]</ref>
|}

=== Major stretcher manufacturing companies ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Company
! Country
! Description
|-
| '''Stryker Corporation'''
| United States
| One of the world’s largest medical-technology companies; a major producer of hospital beds and stretchers.<ref>[https://tingeerstretchers.com/blog/biggest-medical-stretcher-manufacturers/ Biggest Medical Stretcher Manufacturers]. Tingeer Stretchers.</ref>
|-
| '''Ferno-Washington Inc.'''
| United States
| Specializes in patient-handling equipment, including stretchers and rescue litters.<ref>[https://tingeerstretchers.com/blog/biggest-medical-stretcher-manufacturers/ Biggest Medical Stretcher Manufacturers]. Tingeer Stretchers.</ref>
|-
| '''Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.''' (subsidiary of Baxter)
| United States
| Manufacturer of hospital equipment including beds and stretchers; one of the most recognized brands in patient transport.<ref>[https://jiekangmedical.com/top-10-stretchers-manufacturers-worldwide/ Top 10 Stretchers Manufacturers Worldwide]. Jiekang Medical.</ref>
|-
| '''MeBer s.r.l.'''
| Italy
| Italian manufacturer of medical emergency stretchers and rescue equipment.<ref>[https://tingeerstretchers.com/blog/biggest-medical-stretcher-manufacturers/ Biggest Medical Stretcher Manufacturers]. Tingeer Stretchers.</ref>
|-
| '''Narang Medical Ltd.'''
| India
| Indian company with a global export network; producer of hospital furniture and various stretcher models.<ref>[https://tingeerstretchers.com/blog/biggest-medical-stretcher-manufacturers/ Biggest Medical Stretcher Manufacturers]. Tingeer Stretchers.</ref>
|-
| '''ROYAX s.r.o.'''
| Czech Republic
| Manufacturer of rescue and military stretchers with international quality certifications.<ref>[https://royax.eu/ ROYAX Official Website].</ref>
|}

=== Other types of stretchers ===
* The '''Nimier stretcher''' (''brancard Nimier'') was a type of stretcher used by the French army during [[World War I]]. The casualty was placed on their back, but in a "seated position", (that is, the thighs were perpendicular to the abdomen). Thus, the stretcher was shorter and could turn in the [[Trench warfare|trenches]]. This type of stretcher is rarely seen today.

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=23em}}
* [[Battlefield medicine]]
* [[Camp bed]]
* [[Casualty movement]]
* [[Hospital bed]]
* [[Litter (rescue basket)]]
* [[Spinal board]]
* [[Trolley (disambiguation)]]
{{div col end}}

==Footnotes==

=== Notes ===
{{reflist|group=note}}

=== References ===
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons|stretcher}}

{{Wiktionary}}
{{Emergency medical services}}
{{Human-powered vehicles}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Medical transport devices]]
[[Category:Beds]]
[[Category:Medical equipment]]
[[Category:Ambulances]]
[[Category:Hand barrows]]