page_title: Casualty lifting
section_title: Lifting with a strap
hierarchical_section_title: Casualty lifting / Vertical lift (straddle lift) / Lifting with a strap
caption_attribution_description: Relevage d'une victime plat-dos à l'aide d'une sangle. Lifting a casualty lying on its back with a strap. Auteur/author&#160;: Christophe Dang Ngoc Chan (cdang)
context_page_description: Casualty lifting is the first step of casualty movement, an early aspect of emergency medical care. It is the procedure used to put the casualty on a stretcher.
  Developed emergency services use lifting devices, such as scoop stretchers, that allow secured lifting with minimal personnel. Other methods can be used when such devices are not available.
  Since only stabilised casualties are moved, the lifting is usually never performed in emergency; emergency movements are sometimes performed to respect the Golden Hour. This depends on the organisation of the medical services and on the specific circumstances.
  Maximum care must be taken to avoid to worsen an unstable trauma. The head-neck-chest axis must be kept straight to protect the spine, and the first responders must keep the patient's body stable during the lift.
  The first responders have to carry a heavy load in an uncomfortable position. There is thus a risk of injury to the carrier, especially of the lumbar back. To avoid an injury, they must push with their legs, trying to keep their back straight.
context_section_description: A handling strap can help the lifting. The strap for this use should be 6 m (20 ft) long, at least 3 cm (1.2 in) wide to share out the weight and avoid the pain, and resist at least to a weight of 150 kg (330 lb).
  The strap is slid under the casualty: the flat profile can slide easily under the back and the pelvis without lifting the casualty. This strap will form two handles, thus, the team member at the pelvis will have a better grip and a vertical back; the strap crosses in the middle of the back, thus the team member at the head (lifting with four team members) are at the shoulders (lifting with five team members) does not have to put his/her arms between the shoulder blades, and can then lift with a vertical back. The verticality of the back of the team members is particularly important in case of an overweight casualty.
  The strap can be put with two method:
  when the hollow of the back (just above the pelvis) is small (left picture), then the strap is slid in this hollow until its middle; then, each end is slid under the neck, the two branches of the strap are slid under the back, then the middle part is slid under the buttock;
  when the hollow of the back is enough high (right picture): the strap is folded in three, then slid in under the hollow of the back; the two extremities are slid towards the shoulders, and the middle part is slid under the buttocks.
  Then, one extremity of the strap goes on a shoulder of the team member and under his/hers opposite armpit (it crosses the back), and is tied to the other or held together by the team member; a hand is also put under the neck to support the head.
caption: lifting with a strap
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