Lucknow: An idea born during a critical medical emergency has earned formal recognition from the Govt of India.A team of emergency physicians led by Dr Lokendra Gupta, director of emergency medicine and trauma care at Medanta Hospital, Lucknow, has received design registration from the patent office for an integrated emergency transport stretcher aimed at improving care for critically ill patients during intra-hospital transfers.The innovation emerged from a real-life incident several years ago when a patient being shifted from the emergency department to the intensive care unit suddenly deteriorated and required cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while in transit. The experience highlighted the challenges of performing effective CPR on a moving conventional stretcher and prompted the team to rethink how patient transport could be made safer.Dr Gupta, along with Dr Nayan Sriramula, Dr Utsav Anand Mani, Dr Radhika Rani Chandra, Dr Yatin Talwar, Dr OP Sanjeev and Dr Saurabh Singh, developed the concept of a multi-functional stretcher designed to support critical care interventions during transport.The stretcher can be configured in six modes, including ICU, emergency/CPR, radiology, surgical procedure, chair and transport modes. It features an expandable CPR platform, integrated patient monitoring systems, oxygen and suction access, emergency storage space, safety harnesses, radiolucent imaging capability, IV utility ports, height adjustment and battery backup.According to the team, the objective was to ensure that critically ill patients continue to receive uninterrupted emergency and critical care support while being moved within a hospital.Doctors believe transport should be viewed as a continuation of treatment rather than a pause in care.Following the design registration, the team plans to pursue further engineering development, testing and validation for potential clinical use. The innovation underscores how practical challenges faced by frontline physicians can lead to solutions with the potential to improve patient outcomes.
