iTec Transfer Patient Assist Lift

   Do you ever have trouble moving a patient from a bed to a stretcher or a stretcher to a hospital bed? Sure, we all have--it's pretty common in EMS. From the painful fingers of rolling up sheets for transfers to having the sheet move and the patient not, it is often a difficult process.

   iTec Manufacturing of Winnsboro, Tex., has now released the Transfer Patient Assist Lift, or PAL, to help ease the process of transferring patients from bed to stretcher or stretcher to bed.

   The PAL is constructed of flexible plastic, and the top portion has a thin layer of clear foam padding. The regular Transfer PAL also has two nylon straps with buckles for easy opening and closing, and a bariatric version has four straps and handles for the provider to use for the actual transfer. The Transfer PAL is designed for use on the upper torsos of patients only, with one strap going across the patient's chest and under the armpits, and the second across the hips. The PAL also fits easily behind the head of most standard stretchers.

   Field testing of the PAL involved moving a patient of approximately 120 kgs. from one stretcher to another, and from a stretcher to a table. This process was performed by one, two and three providers, and utilized the regular Transfer PAL only. The regular PAL is recommended for patients up to approximately 225 kgs. (500 lbs.), and the bariatric PAL is appropriate for patients up to approximately 340 kgs (750 lbs.).

   Placing a patient on a Transfer PAL is relatively easy. If the patient is able, they can just sit up, even slightly, and the provider can simply slide the PAL behind them and have them lie back down. Log-rolling the patient also works well.

   The patient was then secured to the PAL using the two straps, which were easy to apply. For the one-provider stretcher-to-stretcher test, another provider was used to keep one stretcher from moving, while the provider actually doing the transfer was on the opposite side of the second stretcher. That single provider was able to transfer the patient relatively easily, without major disruption of the sheets below either stretcher. For the second one-provider transfer (stretcher to table), a second provider was used to keep the stretcher from moving, while the provider actually doing the transfer was on the opposite side of the table. Again, one provider was able to transfer the patient relatively easily, without major disruption of the sheets below either stretcher.

   If the wheels of the stretcher are properly locked in place, these moves may be accomplished with one provider only, but from a patient-safety perspective, I do not recommend it. There also seemed to be minimal strain on a single provider doing the transfer; the fact that the patient is strapped to the PAL keeps the patient from rolling back in the opposite direction of the transfer. Though the nylon straps run horizontally along the PAL's bottom edge, this didn't negatively affect the transfer. The only downside, and it's a slight one, relates to the bottom half of the patient: Using another provider to help guide the patient's legs and feet is a big help.

   From a durability standpoint, the underside of the PAL is made of plastic that is advertised to be waterproof and nonabsorbent of body fluids. The plastic-based padding also seems to be resistant to liquids. This device could be used pretty continually; breakdown of the nylon from repeated transfers seems to be the main reason a PAL might need replacing.

   One regular PAL retails at $49.95, and the bariatric PAL retails at $89.95.

   Based on its ease of use (especially by a minimal number of providers), support of proper body mechanics for transfers, security of the patient from the straps that are used, and overall durability, the PAL would seem to be a good choice for use by any EMS agency. For more, visit www.itecmfg.com.

   Timothy J. Perkins, BS, EMT-P, is the EMS systems planner for the Virginia Department of Health's Office of EMS and host of EMS World's EMS Squadcast podcast.