Re: weight limits

["David Steele" <DSTEELE1@mn.rr.com>]

It seems this comes up every now and again.  there are a couple of things
you have to consider before you can consider the obvious and that is how can
you secure...

#1.  What is the floor of your aircraft rated for pounds per square inch or
the pedestal the patient will be on - one of the aircraft we use to fly 500
pounds exceeded that limit and we could have damaged the floor structure.

#2  What is the G force and weight ratio (I think that is the terms used)
that the stretcher you are using is rated at or the pedestal you are using
rated at.  Does it 500 pounds at certain G's exceed this according FAA regs.
The maintenance guys should know this or they can research it.

#3  If it is a  wheeled stretcher what is the weight limit of the stretcher.
There are not many stretchers that are built to hold > 500 pounds.

#4  If you get them in the ship and secured and all is okay can you do
patient care?  Can you do adequate airway control? CPR?  I found once that
there was only 4 inches between the patients chest/abdomen and the ceiling
of the aircraft.  I couldn't have done much.

#5.  Can you sit them up.  If they are that heavy do they have pick wickian
syndrome and are they going to run into trouble?

#6  There is always your safety to consider in lifting and your back...

#7  And Finally how are you going to secure them.  We use extension
belts/buckles on those big patients but remember they have to be FAA
approved.

#8  Weight limits of the aircraft / fuel loads/ crew weights/ etc. all need
to be considered.

We have gone round and round on this issue in our program.  We finally sat
down and set weight limits for patients based on all of those issues above
and on our average mission profile.

David Steele
email   dsteele1@mn.rr.com
Vizsla - Dogs - David/Sean Pages
http://home.mn.rr.com/davidasteele1

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you want to know more!!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Breese, Robert P" <Bob.Breese@usa.xerox.com>
To: <flightmed@flightweb.com>
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 12:02 PM
Subject: RE: (no subject)


> can't usually fit a 500 pound'r in a BO-105, unless we leave the pilot,
> nurse and paramedic behind, then it is still usually difficult to get them
> through the tunnel.
> Bob Breese, MICP, FP-C
>




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