Medical

Hospitals have a lot of valuable equipment inside their vicinity. These aren’t your average, run-of-the-mill apparatuses either. They are life-saving tools that doctors and medical practitioners use to ease someone’s pain, heal grievous wounds, treat a lot of diseases, and save millions of people.

If there was a type of “celebrity status” for equipment, medical ones certainly deserve it, which is one of the reasons why it’s important to take care of them. It’s necessary that every medical establishment should practice hospital maintenance management.

But is taking care of hospital equipment really that important? Does it really affect a doctor’s capability to save lives? Let’s find out!

Equipment Efficiency for Healthcare

Every individual in the world has their own expertise. You have the artists, musicians, scholars, inventors, labour workers, and more. If you look at them on the surface level, it’s only natural to assume that they’re good with their professions because they were made for it.

But, if one were to put them under a microscope, we’d see that they’re efficient with their job because of a) practice and discipline, b) hours of work, and c) potent equipment. Artists won’t be capable of painting a good portrait without the right brush that is of high quality. Musicians wouldn’t be able to woo people with their melodies if they had a faulty musical instrument in their hands.

The same principle applies to doctors. Equipment maintenance keeps their tool from becoming unusable. It helps the apparatus work properly, which efficiently improves overall workflow and productivity, while lessening hospital accidents.

Knowing how to properly care for your autoclave, for example, can keep the hospital’s sharps (i.e. scalpels and dental wires) from being contaminated.

Helpful Maintenance Practices

Let’s be honest here, making sure that hospital equipment are properly maintained takes a lot of work. It’s not something that should be taken lightly and done hastily. However, there are some helpful maintenance practices that any medical staff can use to enhance their hospital maintenance management skills.

1. Get Support from the manufacturer. In most cases, biomedical engineers can easily diagnose equipment issues and perform some troubleshooting immediately. However, there are instances when the problem is beyond their capability, especially when it comes to various hospital machines, which only the manufacturer can provide assistance for. Always keep the manufacturer’s number handy, so getting a hold of them and getting support becomes easier.

2. Pre-plan the schedule for replacement parts. Ideally, hospitals would want to secure some spare parts for defective equipment. But this can often get in the way of dynamic maintenance procedures. There have been instances where manufacturers discontinue production or miscalculate the demand of a particular component, making it unavailable. Pre-planning service schedules can help lessen instances like these, effectively avoiding last minute disruptions.

3. Accurately coordinate service schedules. Knowing what medical instruments should be in every hospital is important. However, tracking every single service requirement for a lot of equipment can definitely be overwhelming. By taking into consideration that medical assets have different maintenance needs, staff clinics don’t follow timelines for delivering the equipment to manufacturers, and manufacturers have different service recommendations, coordinating the service schedules can be done more accurately.

Maintenance is a valuable procedure that hospitals should never skip. Hospital maintenance management is set up in every medical establishment to ensure that medical practitioners are well-equipped. Although it’s true that doctors are the ones doing all the miracle work, even the best could still slip up, due to faulty equipment.

Technology has certainly brought us benefits that make our lives easier, safer, and healthier. One of the fields that benefit from it the most is none other than the medical field.

With medical technology devices getting better and better, more lives are being saved on a daily basis. However, medical technology has its own share of dangers and we’ll be talking about 5 of them that practitioners should be aware of.

1. Dangerous Exposures from CT Scans and Radiation Therapy

Life-saving radiation therapy can easily become life-threatening if errors occur. Misuse of the equipment and improper dose levels can lead to needless radiation exposures. There is a need for hospitals to ensure that quality assurance procedures are being followed, as well as maintaining sufficient staffing levels. It might also help for personnel to know if dental x-rays are truly safe or not, and how these types of procedures differ from one another.

2. Cross Infection from Flexible Endoscopes

Flexible endoscopes are used for endoscopy procedures—a medical procedure that allow physicians to view the patient’s gastrointestinal tract—that help doctors and clinicians get a better view of the problem. However, improper disinfection and cleaning techniques for flexible endoscopes can cause cross infection, potentially leading to life-threatening infections. Practitioners should contact the manufacturer to help identify the requirements for sterilization and cleaning. Getting in touch with the manufacturer is a good way to maintain and clean medical technology devices.

3. Lapses During Pre-use Inspection Resulting in Anaesthesia Dangers

Unfortunately, serious issues with anaesthesia equipment frequently happen. Medical reports would often include ventilator leaks, empty gas cylinders, and misconnected breathing circuits. Despite doing some pre-use inspections, the results could still be incomplete and inconsistent, due to staff skipping a part of the inspection or using obsolete/generic methods.

To avoid any lapses, staff members must perform an equipment inspection that includes manufacturer-prescribed and mode-specific check for the anaesthesia device, before the first case of the day.

4. Improper Luer (Tubing and Catheter) Connection

Catheter and tubing misconnections can cause liquids or gases to enter the incorrect lines, causing severe injuries to patients. The same concept of understanding how maintenance of dental equipment is crucial applies here, if practitioners want to prevent any mishap from happening.

Conducting periodic training, prohibiting the use of adapters, and requiring clinical staff to trace all of the lines back to the source before making connections, helps to avoid it.

5. Failure of Defibrillator to Function

A malfunctioning defibrillator is indeed a life or death situation. One of the reasons why they malfunction is due to depleted batteries. To ensure that they’ll always be working, medical establishments must perform regular checks and preventive maintenance, as recommended by the manufacturer.

The word we live in right now is a world full of amazing medical technology devices. By understanding their strengths and weaknesses, we get a better chance of utilising their benefits to the fullest. Shusaku Endo says it best “Every weakness contains within itself a strength,” and by understanding some of the dangers associated with medical devices, the more we can use their strength for good.

A hospital is thought to have all of the necessary equipment to save lives and tend to a person’s medical needs. Hospitals must be ready to receive any patient that might come in through their doors. But first, medical establishments should know what equipment to get.

They’d have to come up with a hospital equipment list that covers all the key medical apparatuses they must have in their storage rooms. With that being said, we took the liberty to make a list of the medical instruments that should definitely be in any hospital’s repository.

1. Defibrillators

Defibrillators are used during life-threatening situations, like tachycardia or cardiac arrhythmias, and are a must-have in any hospital. They help restore/jump start a heart’s normal rhythm back and make it beat again.

2. Sterilisers

Hospital sterilisers are high-grade cleaners that are capable of killing all types of microbial life, including bacteria, fungi or fungal spores, viruses, and more. Sterilisers are often called autoclaves and an example of this is the Nisea Premium—an efficient autoclave with amazing features!

3. EKG/ECG Machines

Recording the electrical activity of the heart can be difficult. Fortunately, our advances in technology have led us to create an EKG/ECG (Electrocardiogram) machine that lets doctors and nurses monitor the overall rhythm of a patient’s heart.

4. Surgical Lights

It would be a great disservice to both the hospital and the patients if surgical lights weren’t included in their hospital equipment list. Surgical lights help illuminate the surgical setting, giving surgeons adequate lighting conditions.

5. Surgical Table

Without a surgical table, the surgical light would become a bit useless. Surgical tables are an absolute must-have in all hospitals. Surgical procedures and patient preparation would be impossible to perform, if a surgical table wasn’t present.

6. Blanket and Fluid Warmers

Fluid and blanket warmers are essential help prevent post-surgical complications like perioperative hypothermia, increased risk infections, and prolonged hospital stay. Body temperature is a vital factor when it comes to recovery, so having these items in the hospital helps patients recover faster and better.

7. Patient Monitors

Patients are monitored at all times by attending nurses. Patient monitors are medical equipment that helps keep track of a patient’s vitals and condition. It can be used for every patient (infants, pregnant women, adults, elderly, etc.) if necessary.

8. Hospital Stretchers

Moving patients from one place to another is sometimes needed. For example, patients would have to be moved from the emergency room, to their designated hospital room. Hospital stretchers are used for transporting patients and they’re extremely useful, especially during emergencies, where the transfer stretcher becomes the unsung asset for frontliners.There you have it everyone. These are the medical instruments that we think should be in every hospital equipment list. It’s time to re-evaluate that list and make some changes to it. Make sure that you write these apparatuses down and good luck on your purchases! Remember: quality equipment provides quality results, so always choose the equipment that has the best quality!

Professor of Physics, Wilhelm Roentgen, first discovered x-ray back in 1895 by accident. 125 years later and you can see Roentgen’s accidental discovery still being used today, and has even been improved to get better results.

There’s no question that we find x-rays to be exceptionally useful for diagnosing broken bones, lung problems, and even cancer. X-rays come in many types, depending on what it’s for, and there are definitely some x-ray imaging machines that are better than others. Take Preva DC, for example, an x-ray machine where technology meets simplicity perfectly!

Multiple Powerful Features

Preva DC is an intraoral x-ray machine that dentists can never go wrong with. It has an amazing 0.4mm focal spot feature that produces higher resolution images, which yields more accurate results. Users can expect sharper and more defined details from the image, with pathologies being easier to spot, and it’s compatible with digital or film sensors.

Similar to ACTEON X-MIND trium 3d, Preva DC also offers numerous adjustable techniques that give its users total control. It lets them decide how and on what angle they’d want to see the images, along with some selectable contrast, gray scale, and density options that the user prefers. On more technical terms, Preva DC has choices for kV (kilovolt) of 60, 65, and 70. mA (milliampere) of 4, 5, 6, and 7. Time between 0.02 seconds to 2 seconds.

Enhances Workflow and Positioning

If there is one challenge that x-ray machines face, it’s their lack of mobility and positioning. Take a common chest x-ray examination, for example. The patient must be in a very specific position, so that the x-ray could capture the chest cavity, lungs, sternum, and more.

Fortunately, Preva DC is stable and has drift-free positioning. Practitioners would be able to feel the x-ray imaging machine’s exceptional balance and effortless movement. The machine is also known for its remarkable arm mechanics, braking system, and handle design, giving its users a wonderful ergonomic experience.

Provides Amazing Benefits

What an x-ray machine can do and the benefits it offers are staple questions that practitioners ask for. After all, a practitioner wouldn’t want to buy a dental chair if it didn’t have the importance of ergonomics in dental practices embedded in its features. Fortunately, Preva DC knows what its users want.

One of its well-known features is the innovatively integrated ClearVision sensor, which takes digital imaging to a completely new level. Messy cables and electrical wires are a thing of the past too, with everything being self-contained and hidden away inside the Preva DC. Images can also be captured and viewed within the monitor in seconds, having zero delay during image processing.

In general, x-ray imaging has made it easier for dentists and doctors to properly diagnose a patient, which 90% of the time leads to the right treatment. However, what makes x-ray machines like Preva DC a cut above the rest is that it contributes to the entire community by providing practitioners with better benefits, therefore giving patients better results!

Professor of Physics, Wilhelm Roentgen, first discovered x-ray back in 1895 by accident. 125 years later and you can see Roentgen’s accidental discovery still being used today, and has even been improved to get better results.

There’s no question that we find x-rays to be exceptionally useful for diagnosing broken bones, lung problems, and even cancer. X-rays come in many types, depending on what it’s for, and there are definitely some x-ray imaging machines that are better than others. Take Preva DC, for example, an x-ray machine where technology meets simplicity perfectly!

Multiple Powerful Features

Preva DC is an intraoral x-ray machine that dentists can never go wrong with. It has an amazing 0.4mm focal spot feature that produces higher resolution images, which yields more accurate results. Users can expect sharper and more defined details from the image, with pathologies being easier to spot, and it’s compatible with digital or film sensors.

Similar to ACTEON X-MIND trium 3d, Preva DC also offers numerous adjustable techniques that give its users total control. It lets them decide how and on what angle they’d want to see the images, along with some selectable contrast, gray scale, and density options that the user prefers. On more technical terms, Preva DC has choices for kV (kilovolt) of 60, 65, and 70. mA (milliampere) of 4, 5, 6, and 7. Time between 0.02 seconds to 2 seconds.

Enhances Workflow and Positioning

If there is one challenge that x-ray machines face, it’s their lack of mobility and positioning. Take a common chest x-ray examination, for example. The patient must be in a very specific position, so that the x-ray could capture the chest cavity, lungs, sternum, and more.

Fortunately, Preva DC is stable and has drift-free positioning. Practitioners would be able to feel the x-ray imaging machine’s exceptional balance and effortless movement. The machine is also known for its remarkable arm mechanics, braking system, and handle design, giving its users a wonderful ergonomic experience.

Provides Amazing Benefits

What an x-ray machine can do and the benefits it offers are staple questions that practitioners ask for. After all, a practitioner wouldn’t want to buy a dental chair if it didn’t have the importance of ergonomics in dental practices embedded in its features. Fortunately, Preva DC knows what its users want.

One of its well-known features is the innovatively integrated ClearVision sensor, which takes digital imaging to a completely new level. Messy cables and electrical wires are a thing of the past too, with everything being self-contained and hidden away inside the Preva DC. Images can also be captured and viewed within the monitor in seconds, having zero delay during image processing.

In general, x-ray imaging has made it easier for dentists and doctors to properly diagnose a patient, which 90% of the time leads to the right treatment. However, what makes x-ray machines like Preva DC a cut above the rest is that it contributes to the entire community by providing practitioners with better benefits, therefore giving patients better results!

Every single company is required to create a document that professionally communicates the usage and benefits of their equipment. Upon purchasing, buyers would often find what’s called a “user manual”. Inside are instructions that give assistance to users by telling them how to operate and/or maintain a particular equipment.

These instructional documents are often written by technical writers, though user manuals are often written by programmers, technical staff, or product/project managers, in smaller companies.

When it comes to medical equipment management, following what the user manual says can be the difference between life and death. But what exactly are user manuals and why are they so important, particularly to the field of medicine and medical equipment?

User Manuals Serve as Guides

To expound on what we’ve touched base regarding user manuals, these documents are commonly found in computer hardware, electronic goods, and appliances. Smartphones also have user manuals in them, as well as medical devices like the ACTEON X-MIND prime 2D. Most user guides have both images and texts on them to provide the most comprehensive instruction possible.

User manuals usually have contents like a cover page, title page, copyright page, preface, contents page, purpose section, audience section, scope section, how to use the equipment’s main function, FAQs, help section, glossary, and an index (for bigger documents).

The Importance of User Manuals

Since they serve as guides, users will never be able to use the equipment efficiently without user manuals. Improper usage of tools can lead to potentially dangerous outcomes, especially with medical equipment.

A medical establishment’s medical equipment management team would also have a hard time keeping track of its maintenance and usage, which might lead to unnecessary damages to the equipment, possibly costing a lot of financial resources for repairs. The team would also have difficulty in discerning how threatening the device might be and in making precautions when using them, if deemed necessary.

Lawful consequences also play into the equation when it comes to proper equipment use and safety. Without a user manual, new equipment operators might end up injuring themselves or cause irreparable damage to the equipment itself. With a user manual, however, medical establishments could protect both their patients and professionals, along with the equipment, from any harm.

What to Do with User ManualsWhat most individuals often do when they’re finished reading the user manual is to throw it away. Not only is this unwise, but it’s also a bit of a waste of money because they count as “sales literature”, which means that they are included in the total price of the equipment. It’s best to store them in some place safe, so that you could go back to them if you forgot something about the TV, computer, or medical equipment like the Nisea Premium.

User manuals are often the most discarded item whenever equipment is purchased. But it turns out that it’s very helpful for medical equipment management, efficient usage, safety, and maintenance. Remember to keep them because you might eventually need them!

When purchasing medical equipment, it’s important to consider the many variables involved with it. Similar to buying groceries where there’s a list of what to buy, hospitals or clinics need to plan what medical equipment they need. To help, we’ve prepared 6 vital tips that medical establishments absolutely need to know, in order to successfully buy medical equipment.

Tip Number 1: Find Smart Options for Equipment Financing

Medical practitioners would think that paying via cash is the most viable way of getting the medical equipment they need, but this might inadvertently cut into their working capital. Capital that could be used for various practice expenditures.

A good option that practitioners could look into is applying for a medical equipment loan, however, they must take into consideration that loans would often have interest rates which increase the medical equipment’s final cost.

Tip Number 2: Always Look and Go for the Warranty

Look for healthcare vendors that have warranty contracts and maintenance service for the equipment they’re selling. By looking for this option, practitioners could greatly reduce the chances of equipment breakdowns or avoid expensive service costs. Don’t forget to take the time to read through the warranty contract and ask what warranty options are available too.

Tip Number 3: Strategise for the Space and Renovations the New Equipment Might Need

Every single room in a medical establishment have their own unique needs. Therefore, it’s important that when a practitioner aims to buy medical equipment, they consider the location where the equipment will be set up, how much additional cost some renovations might need, and more.

Tip Number 4: Examine the Delivery Process for the Equipment

Opt for a healthcare vendor that offers direct-to-site delivery services. Perform some research about vendors that offer promising delivery services and check if they have a good reputation. A good vendor would make sure that the medical equipment is delivered on time and that it’s properly installed in the room where it needs to be.

Tip Number 5: Test and Inspect the Equipment Before Ownership Transfer

It’s wise to test and inspect if the medical equipment is functioning the way it should be. Brand new equipment has a lower chance of experiencing malfunction issues. One is more likely to discover such issues once they’ve received the delivery, compared to having everything installed and then using it after a couple of days.

Tip Number 6: Check Workflow and Patient

Workflow and patient care will have to be reviewed, once the new medical equipment arrives. New equipment brings with it new processes, which may require having patients to relocate to another room. A new workflow might need to be made to accommodate the new equipment and make sure that the day will go smooth and sailing.

Purchasing medical equipment can be challenging. There’s so much and so many to choose from, it can be very confusing to say the least. Learning how to buy medical equipment greatly increases one’s chances of getting a good deal and we hope that these tips would be helpful for everyone.