prone 6

In this photo, the patient is being flipped from the prone to supine. Control of the patient is being maintained the entire time, and the risk of injury to crew and patient has been greatly minimized. Using the backboard enables you to restrain and immobilize the patient only one time, negating the need to remove the restraints to move the patient to the hospital bed. In addition to being safer for the emergency responder, this facilitates safe treatment—i.e., clearing emesis via a “backboard roll”—and minimizes conflict. Additional pieces of equipment to consider are the C-collar and a “spit-sock.”

Fire Engineering Sep 2008: Tactics for Combative Patients, Author: Michael W. Weaver