Casualty Lifting - Seated Person

Seated Person

Sometimes, it is necessary to lift a seated or half seated person: the seating position is adapted for a conscious person with a chest trauma or of respiratory difficulties.

For this, two team members are placed on each side of the casualty; they place one hand under the buttock, the other under the opposite armpit; the casualty places his/her arms around the neck of the team members. A third team member lifts the legs as usual, and a fourth pushes the stretcher.

When a heart problem is suspected, the casualty should not lift his/hers arms. In this case, a short strap (4 m, 13 ft) can be used: one extremity is slid under the buttock, the other goes under each armpit (and thus crosses the back of the casualty); the extremities are tied to form a ring. The team members use this ring as handles; mind that the head of the casualty is not held.

A long strap (6 m, 20 ft) allows the lifting with only three team members:

1. a short extremity is slid under the buttocks;
2. a team members is placed over the legs of the casualty, facing him/her; the long extremity goes under the team member's armpit and over his/hers opposite shoulder;
3. this extremity then goes under the armpits of the casualty, and again under the team member's shoulder.

Both extremities are tied or held together by the team member; it makes a cross in the back of the first responder. The team member can then support the hole weight of the top of the casualty's body while keeping a vertical back.

the long extremity goes on the team member's shoulder and under his/hers opposite armpit; then this extremity then goes under the armpits of the casualty, and again on the team member's shoulder.

With this possibility, all the weight is on one shoulder; it can be interesting when the first responder has a loose foothold on one side, or has a problem with one shoulder but cannot be replaced by another team member.

When the casualty is seating on a chair and the seated position (with legs down) is possible (i.e. no problem of blood circulation), and if the chair has fixed legs and cannot be folded, then the chair itself can be used for the transport. Otherwise, the chair can be replaced by a wheelchair or a stretcher:

1. two team members take place besides the casualty as usual;
2. when they lift, a third team member re-removes the chair;
3. he then puts the wheelchair, or deals with the causality's legs as a fourth team member pushes the stretcher.

In some cases, the casualty is found seated but a spine trauma is suspected (e.g. the casualty sat upright after an accident, or fell in this position). In this case, the casualty must be transported lying; a long spine board is put against his/hers back to support it while he/she is laid down. When the casualty is on a chair, then the board is slid between the back of the casualty and the back of the chair, and the chair is laid down; the use of an extrication splint (KED) is particularly interesting in this context.