Casualty movement

The casualty movement is the procedures used to move a casualty from the initial location (street, home, workplace, wilderness, battlefield) to the ambulance.

In wilderness or combat conditions, it may first be necessary to stabilize the patient prior to moving them to avoid causing further injury. In such situations, evacuation may involve carrying the victim some distance on improvised stretchers, a travois or other improvised carrying gear.

Once the patient is ready to be moved, the first step is the casualty lifting, to put him/her on a stretcher. The final step is the patient transfer from the stretcher to the hospital bed.

The use of wheeled stretchers, usually used in most developed emergency services, does not need much explanation, except that great care must be taken in order to avoid to worsen an instable trauma.

See also

• Transport of critically ill patients
• CASEVAC
• MEDEVAC