IDENTIFICATION AND SIGNIFICANTS OF THE NEED TO REDESIGN THE MEDICAL STRETCHER IN USE BY NATO FORCES WORLDWIDE

THE MEDICAL STRETCHER CURRENTLY USED BY NATO FORCES AROUND THE WORLD HAS BEEN IN USE SINCE WORLD WAR II. THE DESIGN OF THIS MEDICAL STRETCHER DOES NOT ALLOW MEDICAL CORPSMEN TO PERFORM A WIDE VARIETY OF MODERN MEDICAL TREATMENTS SUCH AS CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR), INTRATHORACIC DECOMPRESSION, ETC., IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO CHEMICAL UPTAKE AND IS DIFFICULT TO DECONTAMINATE WHEN EXPOSED TO CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS AND PATIENT DETRITUS. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED REDESIGN OF THE NATO MEDICAL STRETCHER IS TO STUDY THE FRAME DESIGN AND MATERIALS AND THE BED DESIGN AND MATERIALS FROM A STRENGTH, PATIENT SUPPORT, ADDITIONAL PATIENT TREATMENT TECHNIQUES AND DEVICES, DECONTAMINATION AND STORAGE STANDPOINT AND DEFINE A DESIGN TO MEET THE NEEDS OF NATO MEDICAL PERSONNEL INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.