Scientific and practical approaches to constructional design of stretcher trolleys for evacuation of wounded and injured people: assessment of functionality and operational characteristics

BACKGROUND: In the context of the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, the tactics and procedures for the deployment of military forces have significantly evolved. This has been driven by various factors, including technological advancements in medical evacuation systems, involving the use of special stretcher trolleys to transport wounded individuals from the front line to safe locations for urgent medical care and subsequent transportation by vehicles. Comprehensive analysis of the tactical and technical characteristics of stretcher trolleys used by medical and rescue units demonstrated that the majority of available designs fail to meet current standards. AIM: The work aimed to support the scientific and practical approaches for designing a state-of-the-art stretcher trolley for the evacuation of wounded individuals and critically evaluate its functionality and operational characteristics. METHODS: The theoretical and methodological framework was based on the design, manufacturing, and operating documentation provided by manufacturers of various modified evacuation stretcher trolleys and on the studies of Russian and international scientists addressing evacuation of wounded people. A variety of analytical methods were used, including structural and logical, retrospective, systemic, and content analysis. RESULTS: A comparative analysis of the most critical parameters of previously designed evacuation vehicles was conducted to review their use during the First and Second World Wars and assess the current use of these vehicles by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or rescue and emergency services for the evacuation of victims from remote highland areas. The analysis demonstrated that innovative evacuation stretcher trolleys meet current standards. Integrating innovative solutions, informed by international experience, into the designed evacuation stretcher trolley will improve the execution of medical evacuation, shorten delivery time, and contribute to the preservation of lives and health of military personnel. Therefore, the development of a newly designed evacuation vehicle is deemed advisable. CONCLUSION: The proposed new evacuation stretcher trolley will significantly improve evacuation practices. The design incorporates ergonomics, facilitating maneuverability in constrained and demanding environments, and the rapid deployment offers maximum efficiency. The use of state-of-the-art lightweight and durable materials in the proposed stretcher trolley decreases physical load on paramedics, minimizing the time required to evacuate the wounded from the battlefield. Further improvement of the proposed design will expand the possibilities of using the stretcher trolley for evacuating the wounded individuals, for example, in the Arctic region, desert mountains, and other remote areas.