If you are looking to learn about different types of stretchers because you are interested in buying or simply increasing your knowledge, then you have come to the right place.
Let us start with a simple introduction of a stretcher, which is simply a device used to transport severe injury patients to a hospital.
Stretchers provide rigid support to the patient’s body during a motion to avoid further damage, which makes them very critical in the medical industry, and so, that’s why stretchers global market is worth more than $2319 million and increasing a lot more every day.
Now, back to stretcher types, you must be wondering why so many kinds exist? The answer is simple; different situations need different kinds of stretchers.
You can categories all types into two kinds;
- Basic Stretchers
- Wheeled Stretchers
I ) Types Of Basic Stretchers
As the name describes, Basic Stretchers are simply straight boards, which come with many diverse functions for different kinds of situations.
Depending on the function, basic stretchers are divided into the following kinds;
- Pedi-Board
- Spine board
- Simple Stretcher
- Scoop Stretcher
- Basket Stretcher
- Folding Stretcher
- Flexible Stretcher
- Neimer Stretcher
a) Pedi-Board
Pedi-Board stretchers are short in length, specially designed for kids. The main features which you can see in most Pedi-Board stretchers are;
- Cozy
- Lightweight
- Have Sewn-in handles
- Short length also allows easy moving in narrow spaces
- Have a lot of replaceable straps to hold scared injured kids
- Built-in fastening loops for sturdy holding during transportation
- Most have adjustable head support with ear-opening for monitoring of fluid drainage
Figure 1 Pedi-Board Stretcher For Kids
b) Spine Board
Spine board stretchers are used especially for spinal or limb injury patients. These are mostly made out of wood or plastic material. Spine boards are mostly used in conjunction with cervical collars and side head supports for avoiding movement of the neck and head.
A Spine board is made slightly bigger than the size of the average human body, so it can accommodate the immobilization straps.
Spinal boards come in 2 lengths,
Short spinal boards are a kind of temporary boards used in confined places ( motor vehicle collision, e.t.c. ) until a patient can be transferred to a long spine board. Mostly shortboards are 18 inches wide and 32 inches long, while mostly longboards are 18 inches wide and 72 inches long.
Figure 2 Spine Board Stretcher
c) Simple Stretcher
As the name describes, a simple stretcher is the most basic of all stretchers kinds. It is made by fixing canvas or any other synthetic cloth material between a pipe frame or two poles.
Most simple stretchers have the following features;
- Comfy
- Lightweight
- Cheapest in price
- Have no or only two straps only
- Pole-based are foldable, while frame ones are usually not.
- Can also be made during daily life items during an emergency
Figure 3 Simple Cloth-Based 2 Pole Stretcher
d) Scoop Stretcher
Scoop stretchers, also known as Roberson orthopedic stretchers, have a detachable built-in function, which is very useful for 2 reasons;
- Used in confined places, where patient and stretcher can not be placed side by side for moving patient onto a stretcher.
- Used to lift obese persons because moving them onto stretcher is very difficult and most likely will cause damage, so scoop stretcher is detached and pushed under a patient for lifting.
It must be kept in mind that pushing the stretcher sides under an obese patient may cause pinching of the back, so precautions must be used when dealing with obese patients.
Figure 4 Scoop Detachable Stretcher
e) Basket Stretcher
Basket stretcher also has many other names, litter or stokes basket or rescue basket. It is basically like a simple stretcher but has raised edges.
Raised edges change a stretcher shape into a basket-like which is very helpful in keeping a patient inside without rolling and limiting a patient from looking outside, especially during helicopter extraction, which can be very scary.
Plus, a basket shape also protects patients from ground debris when dragged behind a snowmobile or horse, e.t.c. Sometimes, when moving through mountains, a stretcher is covered with something to protect from falling rocks.
It has a basket shape because it is used in places where movement is limited, such as woods, or where the environment is dangerous, such as slopes, mountains, oceans, e.t.c.
When using a basket stretcher, a patient can be moved in the following ways;
- By hands
- By mounting on ATV
- By attaching behind a horse
- By towing behind skis, snowmobiles
- By strapping basket below a helicopter
- Other…
Figure 5 Litter Stokes Basket Stretcher
f) Folding Stretcher
Folding stretchers mainly include a complex form of simple cloth-based stretchers. Folding stretchers have mostly a metal frame in between which a cloth material is fixed.
Folding of stretchers is done horizontally as well as lengthwise. Horizontal folding is easy due to cloth, while for lengthwise folding, pipes have hinges.
Most Folding stretchers come in 2 options for lengthwise folding, 2-fold option, and 4-fold option. In a 2-fold option, pipes have hinges only in the center, so you can fold only one side of a pipe over the other. While in 4-fold choice, pipes can be folded at 3 points, one at the center of an overall pipe length and one each at the center of opposite sides of a pipe. So, a folded length of the stretcher will be 1/4th of the initial length.
Most Foldable Stretchers have the following features;
- Portable
- Easy to store
- Have fire retardant sheet
- Due to its foldable design, it can be moved through confined places easily.
- Have metal pads, which helps in lifting a patient from the ground as well as save from contamination when placed on the ground.
Figure 6 2-Fold Folding Stretcher
g) Flexible Stretcher
Flexible stretchers are made of polyester or vinyl coated nylon or any other cloth-like material, so they can be folded into a small roll or bag shape for portability and easy storage.
Flexible stretchers are primarily used to move patients by dragging or lifting. For moving of spine and other injury patients, flexible stretchers come in 3 options;
- Built-in removable hard structure stretcher
- Spine board combining stretcher
- Vacuum mattress stretcher
When combined with a spine board, some flexible stretchers can be used in place of rescue stretchers, which saves your money.
Figure 7 Flexible Roll Stretcher
h) Neimer Stretcher
Neimer stretchers were used in World War 1 by the French army. These are very rarely seen today.
In these stretchers, patients are laid on their back with their legs perpendicular to the abdomen, which makes these stretchers short and easy to move in trenches.
Figure 8 Brancard ( Stretcher ) Neimer
II ) Types Of Wheeled Stretchers
The different kinds of wheeled stretchers are;
- Stair Stretcher
- 2-Wheel Stretcher
- Ambulance Stretcher
a) Stair Stretcher
As the name describes, stair stretchers are specially designed to move patients on stairs. These stretchers look like a wheelchair, but they have special features which make them easy to move on stairs.
The most used kinds of stair stretchers are;
- Normal Stair Stretchers
- Belting System Gliding Stretchers
In normal stair stretchers, the patient is moved on stairs by at least two persons who lift the chair from front and back built-in handles.
While in belting system gliding stretchers, back wheels are folded, so a belting system can come in contact with the ground, which allows a stretcher to easily glide on stairs edges by one person at the back.
Figure 8.1 Simple Stair Stretcher
Figure 8.2 Gliding Stretcher
b) 2-Wheel Stretcher
A 2-wheel stretcher operates by moving on 2 wheels instead of lifting or dragging.
There are 2 famous kinds of 2-wheeled stretchers;
- First kind has no footrest and is only used to move a patient on the ground left or right or back or forward
- Second kind has a special footrest and is used to move patients by rolling them on wheels, just like we use a hand truck to move objects.
Figure 9 2-Wheeled Hand Truck Medical Stretcher
c) Ambulance Stretcher
Ambulance stretchers are the most complex and costly stretchers of all kinds of stretchers. They are basically stretchers but fixed on adjustable height wheeled frames.
Ambulances stretchers are also known as Gurney or collapsible wheeled stretchers.
The main features of ambulance stretchers are;
- Made lifting of patients easy from the ground for EMS personals who are at continuous risk of back damage during lifting.
- No need to lift; patients can be moved on wheels by only 1 person in most cases.
Figure 10 Gurney Stretcher
