Why Normal Size Stretchers Are Not Good For Kids
If you have an infant or small kid in your home, school, office, hospital, etc., then you also have noticed that standard stretchers are not suitable for them due to the below reasons;
X On big stretchers, children may feel awkward & get scared.
X As kids do not fit big stretchers, there is no 100% safety during transport.
X Big stretchers neither have proper shape nor straps for immobilization of kids.
X Straps of regular stretchers are not designed for kids & may damage their soft skin.
X Big stretchers are mostly hard & have a lot of vibration. So, kids do not feel comfortable on them.
X More…
So, being a parent, guardian, teacher, nurse, caretaker, EMS personnel, etc., you must understand the importance of Pediatric Stretchers & avoid standard-size stretchers for your kids’ safety & health during emergencies.
What Are Pediatric Stretchers & Their Benefits
“Pediatric Stretchers, also known as “Children Stretchers, “are the kind of small stretchers specially designed for newborns & children.”
★ The Benefits Of Pediatric Stretchers Are;
✓ Complete Immobilization of any age kid.
✓ Avoid secondary injury by holding a child firmly.
✓ Less weight: They are very light in weight & easy to carry.
✓ Less Price: Due to being small, most of these are lesser in price than normal ones.
✓ Less Storage Space: These are very small and can be stored anywhere, even in small places.
✓ Comforting Mechanisms: Most have foam or vacuum mechanisms on which a child feels on a bed.
✓ Colorful straps & body of the stretcher: help children calm down during a scary emergency situation.
✓ Made for Kids: Stretcher shape & straps are designed for kids & they hold kids tightly without damaging their skin.
✓ Best for All Injuries: These stretchers can handle any injury to pediatric patients, spinal, leg, arm, head, internal organ, heart, etc.
✓ Pass through narrow places: Due to being small, pediatric stretchers can pass through small doorways, corridors, rooms, etc., efficiently.
✓ More…
Types Of Pediatric Stretchers
Pediatric Stretchers come in many shapes, sizes, colors & various features. Each of these new pediatric stretchers designs has its own pros & cons.
“In your mind, you must be confused about which one is more reliable & secure for your patient ( kids, infants, etc. ) and which one you should shop for.”
Do not worry; below, I will list all kinds of stretchers with their pros & cons, so you can review & compare them easily in your mind and shop for the most reliable for your kid.
Below Are Pediatric Stretchers Kinds Available In The Market;
- Pedi Spine Boards
- Pediatric Foam Spine Boards
- Pediatric Scoop Stretcher
- Pediatric Folding Stretchers
- Pediatric Vacuum Stretchers
- Pediatric Stretcher Trolley
- Ambulance Child Restraint ( ACR ) / Harness
1) Pedi Spine Boards
As you can see, these Pedi Spine Boards are just like standard spine boards, just smaller in size. As the name describes, Pedi Spine boards are used for children & infants who have spinal, pelvic, leg, head, or limb injuries. These are simple flat boards, with not even a single complicated device on them.
Pros:
- Cheap.
- Less in weight.
- Just a flat board, no complications during preparation.
- Come in a design in which a small board can fit in a large board, making its storage & transportation easy.
Cons:
- Very hard surface, no patient comfort.
- Required to store and, when needed, attach the head immobilizer & straps separately to it.
- If there is no spinal injury, then putting pediatric patients on it may cause more damage than good.
- Its shape is rigid, so patients should be adjusted according to the board shape without further twisting the spine. Only professionals can use this board.
2) Pediatric Foam Spine Boards
As you can see, these stretchers are 3-levels above standard Pedi spine boards.
- First, these have foam coving on them, making them more relaxing for newborns & children.
- Second, these have straps attached to them already, so there is no demand to store them separately, unlike standard Pediatric spine board straps.
- Third, these have a colorful design that is calming for children’s patients’ minds.
Pros:
- Comfy surfaces, children feel at rest on these.
- The foam surface adjusts itself to the patient’s body a little & helps avoid secondary injury.
- During an emergency, you do not need to find straps, as they are already attached, which saves time & may even save a life.
Cons:
- Costly than a simple Pedi board stretcher.
- Like simple Pedi Board stretchers, these are also rigid in shape & do not adjust themselves according to the patient body, so only a professional can put & carry a spinal patient on them without further damage.
3) Pediatric Scoop Stretcher
Pediatric Scoop Stretchers are developed 1-level above normal Pedi Spine Board Stretchers.
Pediatric Scoop stretchers are also flat boards like simple Pedi spine boards. Still, they can be separated at the centre ( longitudinally ), and both sides are slid under the patient & reattached to function as a spine board. Just like on standard spine boards, spinal & limb injuries patients can also be completely immobilized on Pediatric Scoop Stretchers.
Pros:
- Not necessary to move the patient; simply slide sides under the patient & reduce the chances of further injury.
- As sides can be detached, the stretcher can be stored in half the space compared to non-folding Pedi Spine Boards.
- Best for bulky patients who are difficult to move onto stretchers & their weight may cause further damage during moving.
Cons:
- No-Comfy surface.
- Costly than a simple Pedi Spine Board.
- No built-in straps or head immobilizer.
- Hard surface, a patient is needed to adjust it carefully without causing further damage to the spine, limbs, other injured areas, etc. Only professionals can use it.
- Putting a non-spinal injury child on it for a long time may cause more damage than benefit.
4) Pediatric Folding Stretchers
Any pediatric stretcher can come under this category as long as it has some folding mechanism.
Mainly in the Pediatric field, only 2-category of stretchers are developed with folding ability;
- Folding Pediatric Spine Boards
- Folding Vacuum Mattress Stretchers
Pros:
- Having been folded, they are more portable.
- When folded, these can be stored in less space.
- You may slightly fold them and pass them through the narrowest of hallways easily.
Cons:
- More costly.
5) Pediatric Vacuum Stretchers
Pediatric Vacuum mattresses Immobilization Stretchers are the safest & most secure kind of stretchers for infants & children. You can think of this stretcher as a mattress but a portable one. Vacuum mattress stretchers are like air sealed bags. When needed, all you have to do is unfold them, fill the air with a pump ( that comes with them ) to make them like mattress stretchers for immobilization of patients.
Pros:
- As these have no rigid shape, the mattress becomes molded into the shape of the patient body & injury, which helps avoid further damage. Even a noob can use this stretcher for a spinal patient.
- Can be folded into a roll or a rectangular shape for storage in less space.
- Can be stored in a small bag which makes them ideal for journeys among all other stretchers.
- Have the highest patient comfort level, especially for newborn children who do not like hard surfaces.
- Due to being flexible, it can pass through narrow hallways more efficiently than any other pediatric stretcher.
- Unlike spine boards, non-spinal patients can be placed on vacuum stretchers for an extended period without any damage.
- Distribute pressure on the patient body more equally than Pedi spine boards.
Cons:
- Very Costly.
- Complex to use.
- Require time in preparation.
6) Pediatric Stretcher Trolley
As you can see above, these Pediatric Stretchers are used in hospitals, emergency centers, homes, etc., to transport a patient within a specific limited place ( within a hospital, etc.).
Pediatric Stretcher trolleys are the most advanced kind of stretchers you can order for.
Pros:
- IV Pole
- O2 tank holder
- Adjustable height
- Comfy Bed Surface
- Adjustable backrest.
- Separate tray for stuff
- Side moveable rails for safety.
- Central locking braking system.
- 4 or more Wheels for easy transportation.
- Multipurpose use: Transportation, Surgical table, Imaging, Rest bed, Emergency center bed for newborn & small age children.
- More…
Cons:
- Very heavy.
- Highest Price among all Pediatric Stretchers.
- Can not be used to transport patients from accident areas to hospitals, ems centers, homes, etc. ( Can not be used in Ambulances. )
7) Ambulance Child Restraint ( ACR )
You know that in emergency vehicles ( ambulances ), there is a place only for 1-stretcher, which has to be a big stretcher because most patients in daily life are adults rather than infants & children.
On big stretchers, a newborn or a child can not be immobilized properly, so an ACR ( Ambulance Child Restraint ), a kind of harness, is used to firmly secure a child on a big stretcher during EMS transport.
These ACRs harnesses are designed so that EMS personnel will have complete clinical access to the torso without removing the restraint during transportation. So, an ACR harness is a very important device & a must for every EMS ambulance because you never know when you get a call for a child patient.
Pros:
- Very cheap.
- Foldable, easy to store.
- Very easy to use on a patient.
- Very safe Immobilization device.
- Very light in weight, so easy to carry.
- You can apply this harness on a newborn, small kid, big kid, etc.
- With these harnesses, you get 2-in-1 stretchers for both adults & children.
- More…
Cons:
- Can only be used with a stretcher, not separately.
- You will need various length ACRs for children of different heights.
What’s Next:
If you are looking to buy Pediatric Stretchers of the best quality but at the lowest possible prices, then you have come to the right place because JIEKANG is one of the biggest manufacturers of Medical Stretchers & equipment in China.
Click here to get a free quote!
