Procedural mobile medical carts are carts arranged or customized for use by doctors and healthcare staff performing specific procedures. Anesthesia, emergency room, pediatric, and medical isolation carts fall under the acronym of a procedural medical cart.
Medicine carts often fall under the procedural category since medication carts dispense medicines.
Here are a few of the standard procedural carts used by hospitals and the equipment and design often requested.
General Cart Considerations
There are several general cart layouts to consider when deciding on a procedure cart type:
1. Power
When buying a procedural cart, most users should plan for power needs. In today’s hospitals, having portable power is essential for running an efficient program and have been shown to improve patient satisfaction.
At Scott-Clark Medical we offer a reliable, proprietary power source explicitly developed for medical cart use.
The Flexible Mobile Cart Power Technology (FMCPT) solution provides lighter, longer lasting, and more reliable power for computers, medical devices, and any accessories that need electricity to function.
Manufacturers can customize the carts, so battery packs use as little space as possible, allowing more room for peripherals needed for the specific procedures for which the cart is made.
Users can also have built-in monitors, keyboards, and a mouse. For an isolation cart, this helps minimize contamination possibilities.
2. Workspace
The workspace for a procedural cart needs a quality, ergonomic design. Emergency room and many other types of workers remain on their feet much of the day. Awkward or oddly designed carts may exacerbate or cause back pain or repetitive injury problems.
A quality cart should have adjustable workspaces to fit all size workers.
The layout should allow smooth and effortless access to whatever tools the doctor, nurse, or technician needs.
The weight of the cart, size and quality of casters and braking system, all add to the usability of a mobile medical cart.
Overview of Five Types of Procedural Carts
1. Medical Isolation Cart
Hospitals may require specially equipped carts for medical isolation patients. These carts must have the right design to store supplies to minimize the risk of pathogen transmission.
Manufacturers create various configurations to meet the customized needs of the facility.
Often these carts, in addition to the microbe-resistant stainless steel or polymer constructions, may have special anti-germ coatings to lessen the chance of contamination further.
The number of drawers, cabinets, and workspace will depend on the hospital’s requirements.
Scott-Clark Medical offers accessory packages for these carts.
2. Phlebotomy Carts
For a phlebotomy cart, users will want a cart with the right number of drawers, cabinets and working space for drawing blood.
Transparent bins may help technicians access the right equipment quickly.
Other accessories for phlebotomy carts include glove box holders, chart holders, and waste containers with lids.
3. Anesthesia Carts
For an anesthesia cart, a clinic should consider carts with plenty of workspace including perhaps a slide-out writing surface.
Another useful option for anesthesia carts is keyless access to drawers with auto-relock.
Other advantageous peripherals include an IV pole and chart holder.
4. Pediatric Carts
Pediatric carts need a workspace to place an infant when performing emergency procedures.
Medical facilities need to have pediatric carts with IV poles, defibrillators, and plenty of drawer and cabinet space.
5. Medicine Carts
Medicine carts almost always have extra drawers and cabinet space with appropriate locking devices.
Auto close and lock drawers, such as anesthesia carts my have, assist in ensuring the security of the drugs.
Power sources and computer peripherals will enable workers to enter drug use into the patient and inventory records immediately.
Final Thoughts
Customizing a cart and making it procedural can increase productivity and make your hospital operations run smoother and more efficiently.