EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Equipping for the Flu Pandemic

We are working on a 30% increase in ITU/HDU patients. I have just been asked to review the wish lists for new equipment to cope with the increased numbers. Has anyone already done this?

Is it really neccessary? The list i have been asked to look at is over £400K and includes 4 haemodyalisis machines, 11 vents etc.. etc.

Probably not. It sounds to me like the usual response we get in the UK these days ... just bung a bit (well, more than a bit, actually) of money, plus a load of "technology", at whatever problem happens to come along. Need I go on ... ?

But OK. 30% more critical patients should equal 30% more kit. Is that what this is?

Meanwhile, what about necrotising fasciitis ... what's being done about that? It's far more deadly than so-called "Swine 'Flu".

Answer:- clean hospitals would be a good place to start. And the sort of money you mention, John, would allow a few more cleaners to be employed, I would have thought!

If you want cleaner hospital, bring back the matrons

Haven't you heard ... they're already back.

But, rarely in the Hattie Jacques mould, unfortunately.

But that's the type that's needed, someone to fear

Hello Guys

I don't think adopting a broad brush approach of get 30% more kit is the answer. We have equipment libraries, so the as far as infusion devices are concerned - we should be fine.

Monitoring these patients - i am not sure on the need for invasive monitoring, pulse oximetry, temp and nibp should suffice. So we could probably reduce the holdings at general ward level to increase the availability on the (temporary) isolation (higher dependency) wards.

I think that more haemodyalisis machines and vents will be required - but even when more vents are required - anaesthetic vent could be used at a push.
In Australia they did have a contingency plan based on 10% more high dependancy patients. I think that as EBME engineers we should be evaluating our sites and advising the execs. I expect that at most sites the execs have thought about staffing and face masks - but not about medical equipment. With the pandemic expected to peak again in 6 to 8 weeks, it does not give us much time for contingency planning.

I was speaking to some suppliers yesterday about lead times and the average is 6 weeks. So if you need to buy anything - it needs to be bought quickly.

How much money has been chucked at the NHS during the last ten years or so? How many new "manager" positions have been "created"? What percentage of all NHS staff now carry the title "manager"?

How come that contingency plans are not already in place for all kinds of foreseeable circumstance? How come it's the "EBME engineers" task to do such evaluations?

Do the managers carry out PM and fix the kit?

You're suggesting that the execs don't consider medical equipment. What are they, then ... idiots?

One of the reasons the title Manager is now used for every Tom, Dick or Harry is A4C.
Estaes Officers have now become Operational Managers, Project Managers etc. The use of the word Manager gains points......

Assuming that everybody buys 30% more ventilators, have they taken into account that the anaesthetists, ITU/HDU nurses and all that operate them, will probably be reduced by 30% as well, due to swine flu, so who is going to look after ventilated patients?

Another task for the biomed to be lumbered with, no doubt.

Without having hard data to hand (I can see if I could find some if it was needed) I think the whole H1N1 thing here is Oz has been, quite frankly, a fizzer.
There are deaths every year from "seasonal flu" and I have seen no real evidence that the H1N1 has really increased this rate. Yes, there have been a lot of cases but the number of fatalities has been nothing unusual. We are now entering Spring and although the media continue to bang the drum there has been little to actually report.
Main areas of effort have been in public hygene, hand washing, cover your cough, etc. In hospital actions have included greater weight on the above as well as the standard stuff, bacteriological filters, disposable circuits on vents and generally speaking just a greater level of care and awareness. I am not aware of any of the 15 odd hospitals (private) that my team look after having purchased any extra equipment.
While things could still get nasty if further mutation on the virus was to occur, in the main, it's situation normal down this way.
30% increase in asset lists? They jest surely.

Anyone remember Y2K/SARS/avain flu?