EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance what are critical care equipments?

what are critical care equipments?

Although there may well be "official" definitions in various documents ... I would say that it is not the equipment itself that is critical but rather the environment in which it is used. ICU, Neonatal Unit etc..

Over the years, I have come across all sorts of terminology aimed at grouping together "high priority" (from the tech support point of view) equipment such as ventilators and what-have-you. "Life vital" is another one that comes to mind from the dim and distant past.

Even the humble suction pump could be "critical" in certain situations. Numbers also matter; the ventilator will certainly be critical if the hospital only has one! A transport incubator may well cause a flap if it suddenly becomes needed ... but it's already 100 miles away on an earlier transfer. But I'm wondering why you are asking ... are you trying to prioritise PM?

I like doing the 'Risk' factors for medical equipment because as far as I am concerned any equipment in the wrong hands is high risk.

Yes,if you have any document please send to me mail id : rajanbme@gmail.com. adv thanks

Which (what) document(s) do you mean?

Take a look at these earlier threads:-

1) Risk-Based PM
2) Evidence-Based PM Strategies

Meanwhile, this article should give you the right idea.

Other than that, remember that "Google is your Friend"!

There are not categories of critical equipment but the uses of equipment might be critical. An IV pump could be delivering saline in palliative care to a terminally ill patient where it would not harm the patient if it were not to work for a couple of hours or the same pump could be delivering an inotrope that is keeping someone alive and might prove fatal if it stopped for a few minutes.
This is why I can see no point in the labels one sees on equipment saying its risk category.
Robert

Perceived consequences (to the patient) of failure should be one of the factors that make up the equipment Risk Score (which is aimed at prioritizing maintenance work).

Granted, this can change accordingly to particular circumstances (as you have illustrated), but for each equipment assessment is made with regard to anticipated "everyday" use in its normal (notified*) location.

So you could end up with infusion pump A being PM'd more often than pump B ... and pump C, which could be held (hidden?) in somewhere in the stores.

As to the labelling you mention ... I also am not in favour. What is the point of it (other than something else for the newspapers to make a fuss over)?

* Location per inventory.

And if the pumps are from a library, they could be doing one job one day and a totally different on the next. So any label or categorisation is meaningless.
Robert

No; they would warrant a tick in many of the boxes:-

[ ] Rough handling
[ ] Lack of "ownership"
[ ] Heavy usage
[ ] Indeterminate patient environment
[ ] On Safety Committee list*

... etc.

- and so would probably end up in the "High Priority" bracket.

Anyway, doesn't the Library regime require that the kit always gets checked when it's returned? And if not, why not?

But you're right about the labelling, though. No need.

* Maybe.

thanks Geoff