According to a new study, paramedics with access to stretchers with battery-operated hydraulic systems and ambulance-assisted loading experience significantly fewer musculoskeletal injuries.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo, Canada, conducted a study to compare injury rates of paramedics at the Niagara Emergency Medical Service (NEMS, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada), which had implemented motorized At the time of the study, with the Hamilton Paramedical Services (HPS, Canada), which used manual stretchers. The study compared injury incidence rates, leave days, and compensation costs before and after the implementation of the stretcher and load systems, motorized in the NEMS.

The results showed that, before the intervention, the incidence rates of stretcher-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) averaged 20 and 17.9 full-time equivalents (FTE) in the NEMS and HPS, respectively. Rates per year, after the intervention, decreased to 4.3 FTE in the NEMS, a reduction of 78%. On the other hand, MSD rates rose modestly to 24.6 FTE in the HPS during the same period. The profitability analysis calculated that the additional cost of buying stretchers and load systems would recover after seven years. The study was published on February 27, 2017 in the journal Applied Ergonomics.

“Each unit can cost approximately 40,000 Canadian dollars; Although the units may seem expensive, they seem to offer a significant return on investment, “said lead author Daniel Armstrong, MSc, a graduate student in the kinesiology department at the University of Waterloo. “We found that the additional cost, for the purchase of motorized stretchers and load systems, would recover within the expected life span of seven years, due to reduced costs, related to injuries.”

“In many cases, paramedics face compression of the spine that is well above the threshold limit. A single hand stretcher can weigh almost 100 pounds. Add a 200 pound patient and the result is that a team of paramedics has to face 300 pounds every time they get up, squat, lift or load the stretcher, “said senior author, assistant professor of kinesiology, Steven Fischer, PhD. “We estimate that a paramedic raises more than 1,700 pounds per shift on average, roughly the same weight as moving all the furniture in a one-bedroom apartment.”

Kinesiology is the scientific study of human movement, performance and function and incorporates the sciences of biomechanics, anatomy, physiology, psychology and neuroscience. Kinesiologists work with people of all ages and physical abilities to treat and prevent injuries and illness, and improve movement and performance. Field areas include health promotion, rehabilitation of injuries, management of pain and chronic diseases, ergonomics, physical training and public health.