Bariatric Evacuation Programs
Background
Lifting, moving, and transporting patients is a leading cause of injuries to emergency medical responders. Emergency responders care for patients in the prehospital environment that is not designed for moving patients on a stretcher or cot. Restricted spaces, stairs, bathtubs, narrow doorways, and hallways often complicate the loading and transport of these patients. These conditions are further complicated as patients become heavier, taller, and wider.
Morbidly obese (bariatric) patients have some specific medical care requirements. Bariatric patients are also prone to a range of medical complications putting them at a higher risk category for requiring emergency medical attention.
This program is designed to reduce injuries to emergency responders when treating and transporting patients and provide improved emergency medical care for morbidly obese patients. This is accomplished by utilizing modifications to existing equipment and techniques while maintaining the standards for moving patients. This program is broken into 3 course levels. These courses have been preapproved for Continuing Education credits from British Columbia Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing as outlined below.
Rescue Canada – Bariatric Evacuations – Awareness | 1.5 | once per reporting period |
Rescue Canada – Bariatric Evacuations – Level 1 – Operations | 3 | once per reporting period |
Rescue Canada – Bariatric Evacuations – Level 2 – Technician | 3 | once per reporting period |
Bariatric Evacuation Programs
1) Awareness
Awareness is the introduction to the concepts and rational of a structured patient lifting and evacuation program. Awareness certification is the online course and will be included with all levels of certification. The online course is expected to take approximately 2 hours to complete. The course objectives are to make all participants aware of the patient medical requirements, complications with loading, evacuation and risk potential in order to complete a size up and action plan.
2) Operations
Operations is the online awareness course plus one day of classroom and practical skills. This course requires no specialized equipment or prerequisite skills. The simple techniques used in this course will address the vast majority of patient movement and evacuation challenges
3) Technician
The technician course adds one day of classroom and practical skills to the operations course. This course is designed to develop team members with existing technical rescue skills to complete a complex evacuation requiring some rope rescue techniques. Technical rescue instruction will be limited to modifications of existing rope rescue skills and techniques that are adapted for the residential environment. This program will also address evacuation considerations for patients that exceed 600 pounds.
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Rescue Canada - Bariatric Evacuations - Awareness $1.5Once per reporting period
- Rescue Canada - Bariatric Evacuations - Level 1 – Operations $3.00
Once per reporting period
- Rescue Canada - Bariatric Evacuations - Level 2 – Technician $3.00
Once per reporting period
