FEATURES OF GENERAL PATIENT CARE 15

radiographer's hand under his arm, and sit on the X-ray table. From this
position he can be helped to lie down.
It sometimes happens that a patient coming to the X-ray department
in a wheel-chair is unable to give this degree of co-operation, and it may
lift such a patient from the chair and
be necessary to transfer him to the
X-ray without the intermediate stage of his standing on the floor.
table
Two people are required for this, and a third to act as the brake on the
chair if that is necessary.
The chair should again be placed parallel to the X-ray table and close
the patient at this stage facing towards the end of the X-ray table
it,

to
which will be occupied subsequently

by
his feet. The two radiographers
who are to lift him stand on each side of the chair facing the patient and
towards the head of the X-ray table. The one on his left puts her left
shoulder under his left axilla, and her left arm under his thighs in the hollow
at junction of thigh and buttock. The radiographer on the patient's right
side puts her right shoulder under his right axilla, and her right arm under
his thighs, grasping the left wrist of the radiographer on the opposite side.
Both radiographers should make certain that their arms are well under
the upper part of the patient's thighs in the gluteal fold. The tempting and
accessible hollow under the knees not in fact useful and may make
is

successful lifting nearly impossible, as the patient can fold up like jack-

a
knife at the hips and slide backwards out of the seat which the radiographers
are trying to provide. The radiographers should join their free arms, the
hand of one grasping the wrist of the other, as supports across the patient's
back.
He can now be lifted bodily out of the chair on the word of command
from the leader of the proceedings, and transferred to the X-ray table
by

the radiographers stepping backwards and turning sideways. He then

is

assisted to lie down.

If

the patient to take any weight upon his shoulders an

unable
is

alternative method must be used. The patient's arms are best folded
across his chest, and the radiographers stand as before on each side of him.
The one on his left puts her left arm under the gluteal fold as before, and
her right arm across the small of the patient's back. The radiographer on
his right puts her right arm similarly under his upper thighs, and her left
arm across his back. Both radiographers as before join hands, each gripping
with one hand and having the wrist of the other gripped by her partner.
the patient (and the height of the chair
lift
If

necessary to bend to
it
is

will probably necessitate some stooping by the lifters), the radiographers

should not bend from the waist, but should keep their backs as straight as