Research suggests that up to 6 million people in America per year enter an emergency room with a condition that is so critical that they require care within 60 seconds of arrival. A crash cart is an essential item in the emergency room, housing resuscitation and other critical care equipment. It allows physicians to save lives, but when not properly stocked, maintained, used, or sanitized, it can cause more harm than good to critically ill patients.

Emergency Cart Mistakes

• Emergency carts should be accessible and easy to reach for all members of staff. Storing a cart out of clear sight means that valuable minutes of treatment time may be lost in an emergency.
• Crash cart supplies should be secure, but cumbersome and hard-to-open locking systems can cause treatment delays that cost lives.
• Carts that are not inspected and maintained regularly are a hazard and unfit for purpose. Equipment should always be maintained to deliver safe patient care.
• Carts that are not properly sanitized can cause the spread of bacteria and create an environment that is not conducive to good infection control procedures.
• Carts that are not sufficiently restocked in accordance with the required inventory are a hazard and may result in inadequate supplies.
• Medication mix-ups can be serious and potentially fatal when they are stored in such a way where their labeling is not clear to staff.
• Lack of staff training in how to use and restock a crash cart means that they are unable to work with optimal efficiency in the event of an emergency.
• Carts should be inaccessible to unauthorized parties. Equipment that has been tampered with presents a multitude of risks, such as missing stock and a lack of sterility.

The Everhutch Emergency Cart

The Everhutch Statcart is available in color-coded options that create a visual and clear indication of their location and use.

They are fully moveable, with plate-mounted, swivel, lockable casters for ease of relocation across departments or directly to the patient’s bedside.

Multi lock options are available to ensure that supplies are secure while being easy to access. Key locking, electronic keypads and proximity card reader access are all optional security solutions, along with dual credential unlocking.

A variety of options and sizes are available to house equipment, such as rail management systems, needle disposal units and drawers that are compatible with older-style inserts.

UV-clean by proximity is a fully automated sanitization system that uses no-touch, ultraviolet UV-C light to inactivate 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on high-touch surfaces.

Conclusion

Health and care settings can ensure that they do make common errors with the easy implementation of preventative measures. Staff should be trained and updated regularly on the use of equipment, sanitization, and inventory protocols. Sourcing your crash cart from a specialist and trusted manufacturer gives you the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are buying the latest in scientifically engineered and tested equipment you can be certain meets the stringent demands of a busy healthcare setting. This helps to prevent unwanted surprises in the event of an emergency.