One of the best things about well-designed medical carts is that they can be easily adapted to a variety of settings. Hospitals, care homes, doctor’s offices and laboratories are just some of the places where you may find procedure carts. As these different settings often have different needs, careful consideration should be given to which type of procedure cart you choose.

How can medical carts be adapted?

You have a wide range of options if you want to configure your medical cart to the specific needs of your healthcare setting. This includes choosing different heights and widths of cart, changing the arrangement of the drawers and using them to store different types of equipment. Then there are different accessories that can be added, as well as different cleaning methods. Procedure carts are probably the most general use option, but you can also consider options such as the code cart, anaesthesia cart and isolation cart for more specialized situations. It is important that healthcare professionals are aware of their options with the different medical carts and can adapt them accordingly.

Different types of medical cart:

Code cart

The code cart is equipped for emergencies, as indicated by its red color. In addition to standard equipment such as gloves, medication and a sharps box, it also has space for life-saving essentials such as a defibrillator and intubation tray. Other potential equipment includes oxygen holders, suction cup mount kits and IV poles.

Anaesthesia cart:

Sometimes, a patient may need to undergo anesthesia before they can receive the appropriate treatment. That means you need somewhere to store the appropriate drugs and delivery systems (such as needles and oxygen masks) as well as familiar basics such as gloves. There should also be a receptacle for waste disposal.

Isolation cart

Isolation carts are for those situations where the spread of infection is a particular risk, such as when patients with infectious diseases are in neighboring rooms. These situations require particular attention to personal protective equipment, including gloves, masks and gowns. Isolation carts should also be designed to be easy to clean, with smooth, wipe down surfaces and without any nooks and crannies which may harbor germs.

Procedure cart

Perhaps, the most general use of the medical carts is procedure carts that include a little bit of everything. Medication, sharps, gloves and other PPE, an IV kit, a flat surface suitable for writing and space for waste disposal – these are just some of the things you are likely to find in a general use procedure cart.

The above are some of the most notable forms of medical cart, but in many cases, they can be reconfigured in other ways to suit an even more diverse array of situations. From the size of the cart to the arrangement of the drawers to the equipment stored inside, each different healthcare setting can adjust its carts accordingly, provided that healthcare workers are familiar with the options. This means that patients can be offered the best level of care regardless of their situation.