List of Hospital Equipment – Overview
There are more than 1 million physicians working across the United States right now. These doctors handle various roles, all the way from general practitioners to surgeons and psychiatrists.
Studies also show that patients in the US are spending more time on general surgeries. It is estimated that general physicians treat around 3,500 patients every year.
To provide the best possible medical care, it is crucial to have a list of commonly-used hospital supplies and medical equipment.
Here’s a complete list of essential hospital equipment every physician should have in 2022.
Complete list of essential hospital equipment
1 – Autoclave
Controlling the spread of infection is extremely important to stop the infection from growing. In a doctor’s office, patients with various types of viral and bacterial infections come in every day.
This means that doctor’s offices have a fair share of germs. This is where an autoclave comes in handy at a hospital or physician’s office.
An autoclave is a container that can heat medical equipment under high temperatures and high pressure. This is one of the most effective and efficient ways to sterilize frequently-used medical equipment.
An autoclave usually sterilizes equipment for 3 minutes at 279 degrees Fahrenheit, for 10 minutes at 264 degrees Fahrenheit or for 15 minutes at 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
2 – Basic Diagnostic Equipment
No list of medical supplies can be complete without the essential basic diagnostic equipment that is necessary to have at a physician’s office and at a hospital:
- Thermometers
- Blood pressure monitor
- Pulse oximeter
- Blood testing kits
- Stethoscopes
- Ophthalmoscopes
- Colposcopes
- Otoscopes
- Reflex Hammer
- Eye chart
Apart from this, make sure that as a physician, your clinic has a procedure and examination table with support systems and adjustable height. Also, it is advised to keep a step in the office so patients can get on and off the table conveniently.
Besides this, you should also have specialized lighting to conduct an exam. Your clinic should also have weighing scales and a height measure of high quality.
3 – Procedure Equipment
At times, you may also need to perform minor procedures on patients, such as cleaning and dressing wounds. So you should be prepared with the following list of procedure equipment at the clinic:
- Antiseptic wipes
- Adhesive bandages
- Gauze
- Cotton wool swabs and pads
- Hypodermic needles
- Tweezers
- Tissues
- Paper towels
Make sure to store these types of medical supplies in a hygienic place and avoid buying single-use supplies with faulty or damaged packaging.
4 – Automated External Defibrillator
An automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a type of life-saving equipment that can reset a patient’s arrhythmic heartbeat to normal, as caused after a cardiac arrest. If needed, the defibrillator can also give an electric shock to help regulate the heartbeat.
These are fairly easy to use with a little basic training. Many of the AEDs in the market today are portable, so if you have on at your office, you can easily carry them to a patient’s home for an emergency.
5 – Emergency Equipment
Oftentimes, a routine doctor’s appointment can turn serious and the patient may require urgent medical help. In such situations, you should be prepared to handle it with the following basic emergency medical equipment and supplies:
- Oxygen canisters
- Aspirators
- Resuscitation mask or bag
- Oxygen masks
- Foil blankets
- Airway suction units
- Ventilator
- Trauma board
Though these items may not directly save a patient’s life, they are well able to ensure that the patient can be stabilized till they receive the appropriate medical or surgical help.
6 – Laboratory Doctor Supplies
There could be times when basic diagnostics may not reveal the root cause of a medical problem. In such instances, you may need to have a laboratory analysis to get a more comprehensive understanding of the patient’s situation.
Some of the most common laboratory medical equipment that you can have at your clinic include:
- Urine analyzers
- Centrifuge
- Glucose analyzers
- Chemistry analyzers
- Microscopes
- Fridge/freezer to store specimen samples
If your clinic does not have sufficient space to install and use such laboratory equipment, then you can outsource these services to a professional pathology laboratory.
7 – Personal Protective Equipment
Wearing appropriate protective clothing when attending to patients suffering from infectious diseases is another effective way to prevent the spread of infections.
You should make sure to wear protective clothing at all times, during examinations and while carrying out procedures.
You should buy high-quality disposable gloves, aprons, and face masks. Make sure to use these only once before disposing of them in the right manner.
Ensure to have a sufficient supply of these protective items so you don’t run out of them at a critical time.
Apart from this, you should also wear protective eye goggles and sterilize them frequently. Besides this, keep a sufficient supply of hand sanitizer at your office or clinic at conveniently placed locations.
8 – ECG Unit
An ECG unit is another important piece of equipment to have when dealing with patients who are suffering from irregular heart activity. It can perform an electrocardiogram, which measures the electrical activity in the patient’s heartbeat.
It records these electrical signals for a period of time and gives out a printed result. This allows you, as a doctor, to spot the irregularity in the heartbeat immediately.
This equipment often helps to save lives by detecting irregular heart activity, which, if left undetected and untreated, can develop into fatal heart disorders.
9 – Specialized Equipment
Here is a list of some specialized equipment that you might need in case of emergency surgery:
- Fetal monitoring machine
- X-ray machine
- Spirometer to monitor lung capacity
- Ultrasound machine
The equipment listed above is readily available at a hospital, so you may not need them if there’s a hospital near your office or clinic. However, if you have these at your clinic, you can ensure prompt diagnosis and quick treatment.
10 – Administrative Equipment
The administration is an essential part of a successful clinic or private practice. It is important to have the latest equipment so surgery runs smoothly.
Make sure to have a reliable phone line so patients can easily call in to book and/or confirm appointments. You can hire a medical answering service if the current staff is unable to handle the call volume.
Make sure to buy the latest computers and printers for the admin side and reception so you can securely store and easily access patient records and medical history instantly.
Conclusion
This is a list of the most commonly used medical equipment and supplies that physicians and doctors in the United States should have at their offices or clinic.
These sets of equipment can help with easier diagnostic and more effective treatment besides making your practice more successful.
Reference links
https://www.primedeq.com/blog/
https://www.futurehealthconcepts.com/blog/posts/
https://www.birkovaproducts.com/blog/
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