General Health

• Ambulatory - Promotion and assistance with walking to maintain or store autonomic and voluntary body functions during treatment and recovery from illness or injury Braces - An orthopedic appliance used to support, align, or hold a bodily part in the correct position.
• Canes - Canes or walking canes are just one of several devices available to assist in ambulation, or walking. Using a walking cane improves balance by increasing a person's base of support. When used correctly, canes unload the leg opposite to the cane is in by up to twenty-five percent.

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• Carry - To hold or support while walking.
• Crutches - Is a wooden or metal staff used to aid a patient's mobility impairment or an injury that limits walking ability.
• Gait - The manner or style of walking. Depends on the person's ability to support their weight and balance.
• Hydraulic Life - It can help transfer an immobile or obese patient safely from the bed to a chair. Life Sheet - Is a sheet used in the medical industry to lift immobile patients from their bed. It can be made of plastic, rubber, or cotton, and is about half the size of a regular sheet. It supports the body from the upper back to mid thigh during lifting.
• Mobility- the ability to move or be moved freely and easily. Movement- the act or process of moving people or wings from one place or position to another; the act of moving from one place or position to another.
• Non-ambulatory- not able to walk about. Orthodontic hypertension- also called postural hypertension; is a form of low blood pressure that happens when you stand up from sitting or lying down.

Stretcher litter, or pram IS an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care; a device that is made of a long piece of thick cloth stretched between two poles and that is used for carrying an injured or dead person. Transfer- an act of moving something or someone to another place. Transfer belt- a belt used to transfer a disabled person from one location to another by placing the belt around that person's waist and using it to hold on to while safely transferring the patient.

Walker- a frame that is designed to support someone (such as a baby or an injured or elderly person) who needs help in walking.

Weight- a measurement that indicates how heavy a person or thing is.

Wheelchair- a chair fitted with wheels for use as a means of transport by a person who is unable to walk as a result of illness, injury, or disability. Safety points or issues when a patient is on: stretcher. Lock the wheels of the bed and stretcher before the client transfers in or out of them.  Fasten safety straps across the client on a stretcher, and raise the side rails. Never leave a client unattended on a stretcher unless the wheels are locked and the side rails are raised on both sides and/or the safety straps are securely fastened across the client. ; Always push a stretcher from the end where the client's head is positioned. This position protects the client's head in the event of a collision. ; If the stretcher has two swivel wheels and two stationary wheels:  Always position the client's head at the end tit the stationary wheels and  Push the stretcher from the end with the stationary wheels.

The stretcher is maneuvered more easily when pushed from this end.  Maneuver the stretcher when entering the elevator so that the clients head goes in first. Wheelchair њRemember the disabled person will say how to maneuver the chair. Stake note of their wishes to move. Do not shake him. Place the chair properly before transporting and always lock brakes. њCheck the position of the arms and legs. May they have sensory disturbances, and in that case, did not realize the blows, wounds, burns, etc. Suspense he dresses, cushions, blankets, etc. Re tight, so you do not get caught in the wheels. Do not forget that the disabled person may suffer if mishandled in his wheelchair. Remember that he may have a difficulty in responding to a particular question. Give some time for the patient to respond. Be discreet. Do not ask about the source or cause of disability. The patient may feel upset. DOD not push the wheelchair too fast or turn it suddenly without warning the patient the maneuver. LIDO not forget that the patient can feel ignored or relegated if health care talks to another person that is out of reach or his eight.

DOD not lift the chair by the arms, it could cause an accident. Consider the other pedestrians when driving the chair. The city, go through traffic signals. Always notify the maneuver. Len an uneven terrain, it will be easier to push the chair if tilt by the large wheels. Tilt it always to prevent the patient from falling. Importance of Transfer and Ambulation Transfer and Ambulation is important because it helps patients with restricted mobility attain or maintain mobility and independence. Transfer and ambulation can maintain and improve joint motion, increase strength, and promote circulation.

Frequent transferring can also reduce pressure on skin of bed ridden patients thus avoiding bedsore. Ambulation helps patients that have been through some physical injury or patients that experienced stroke. It helps them regain motion The following benefits shows the importance Of transfer and and stability over affected areas. Ambulation: Maintains and improves joint motion increases strength Promotes circulation Relieves pressure on the skin Improves urinary and respiratory function Increases social activity Increases mental stimulation Indications of Transfer and Ambulation Patient isn't stable

Patient has limited mobility and strength Patient is injured Patient is elderly and needs assistance Patient has musculoskeletal impairment patient has been bed ridden Patient is losing muscle endurance, strength, control, or mass. Contraindications of Transfer and Ambulation Patient is stable Patient has enough mobility and strength Patient has not sustained physical injury patient is not elderly and in need Of assistance Patient is not bed ridden Patient gets enough exercise and movements Patient is not cooperative and prefers not to be helped Basic Guidelines in transferring and ambulating patients .

Follow the rules for good body mechanics.  Check walking aids frequently to make sure they are in good condition.  Always explain the procedure to the patient ahead of time. Make sure all devices are fitted properly to the patient. Make sure all tips Of canes, walkers and crutches are flat on the floor. Make sure the patient is not placing the walker too far from him or her.  Do not allow the patient on crutches to support his or her weight on the auxiliary pad. Only on the handle bar.  Make sure the patient's non-skid shoes or slippers fit well and in good repair.

Watch signs for patient discomfort or fatigue Factors that affect Transfer and Ambulation ;

• Age - greatly affects activity, during the infants and toddler period, mobility develops rapidly and is refined and expanded throughout childhood and adolescence and into young adulthood with effects to maximize the attributes. ;
• Lifestyle - people learn early in life often from the families, the value of activity in relation to health. ;
• Neuromuscular and skeletal impediments - disease and injuries that affect the neuromuscular or skeletal systems can hinder movement.
• Nutrition- adequate nutrition supplies vitamins and minerals essential for bone function. ;
• General Health- the client's general health status is reflected on how the individual moves. Illness, disability, inactivity and chronic fatigue have unfavorable effects on musculoskeletal function. ;
• Emotions - the client's emotional state may influence posture and ways of moving about. ;
• Attitudes and Values - people who are conscious with body mechanics and gait would protect their body structures and posture from injury.
• Levels of Understanding - understanding the elements of body mechanics would encourage its use.

Principles involved in transfer and ambulation; Body mechanics; Human anatomy & physiology; Psychology; Physics; Time & energy; Safety & security Mechanical Devices used in Transferring Patients using Stretcher Transfer belt Hydraulic lift A stretcher, litter, or pram is an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people.

Whereas a wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or cart) is often equipped with variable height frames containing wheels, tracks, or skids. Stretchers are primarily used in acute out-of-hospital care situations by EMUS, military, and Search and rescue personnel. However they are also used to hold prisoners during lethal injections in the United States. EMUS stretchers Classification used in ambulances have wheels that makes transportation over pavement easier, and have a lock inside the ambulance and stables to secure the patient during transport.

Simple stretchers are the most rudimentary type. They are light; eight and portable, made of canvas or other synthetic material suspended between two poles or tubular aluminum frame. Many are stored as disaster supplies and are often former military equipment. The folding stretcher, also known as a top deck or collapsible stretcher, is similar in design to the simple stretcher but features one or more hinged points of articulation to allow the stretcher to be collapsed into a more compact form for easier handling or storage.

Some models may even allow the patient to sit upright in a Fowlers or Semi-Fowlers position. The scoop stretcher is used for lifting patients, for instance from the ground onto an ambulance stretcher or longboard. The two ends of the stretcher can be detached from each other, splitting the stretcher into two longitudinal halves. To load a patient, one or both ends of the stretcher are detached, the halves placed under the patient from either side and fastened back together.

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