What is the preferred method of evacuating non-ambulatory patients in a healthcare facility?

What is the preferred method of evacuating non-ambulatory patients in a healthcare facility?

• A. Vertical evacuation
• B. Horizontal evacuation
• C. Stairwell evacuation
• D. Elevator evacuation

Answer: (B)

Moving non-ambulatory patients to safety on the same floor—horizontal evacuation—minimizes the risk and complexity of transferring patients who cannot walk and keeps them in a controlled, familiar clinical space with their monitoring and life-support equipment nearby. This approach uses transfer devices like wheelchairs, stretchers, and ceiling lifts to relocate patients to a designated safe area on the same level, where staff can continue care without the added dangers of stairs or elevators during an emergency. Vertical or stairwell evacuations expose non-ambulatory patients to smoke, heat, and longer transfer times, while elevator use is generally avoided in many emergencies because the shaft and power supply can become unsafe. For these reasons, horizontal evacuation is the preferred method.

Moving non-ambulatory patients to safety on the same floor—horizontal evacuation—minimizes the risk and complexity of transferring patients who cannot walk and keeps them in a controlled, familiar clinical space with their monitoring and life-support equipment nearby. This approach uses transfer devices like wheelchairs, stretchers, and ceiling lifts to relocate patients to a designated safe area on the same level, where staff can continue care without the added dangers of stairs or elevators during an emergency. Vertical or stairwell evacuations expose non-ambulatory patients to smoke, heat, and longer transfer times, while elevator use is generally avoided in many emergencies because the shaft and power supply can become unsafe. For these reasons, horizontal evacuation is the preferred method.