List of 10 Essential Hospital Equipment

List of Essential Hospital Equipment – Overview

As of my last update in April 2023, over 900,000 physicians were working across the United States. These doctors handle various roles, from general practitioners to surgeons and psychiatrists.

Studies also show that US patients spend more time on general surgeries. Primary care physicians see an average of 1,500 to 2,000 patients per year.

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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.

1 – Autoclave

Controlling the spread of infection is extremely important to prevent it from growing. Patients with viral and bacterial infections come into a doctor’s office daily.

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 container can heat medical equipment under high temperatures and pressure. It is one of the most effective and efficient ways to sterilize frequently used medical equipment.

An autoclave typically sterilizes equipment for 15 minutes at 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius), or 3 minutes at 270 degrees Fahrenheit (132 degrees Celsius).

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 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, keeping a step in the office is advised 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 high-quality weighing scales and height-measuring equipment.

3 – Procedure Equipment

Sometimes, 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

Store these 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 life-saving device used during sudden cardiac arrest to attempt to restore a normal heart rhythm with an electric shock.

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 one at your office, you can easily carry them to a patient’s home for an emergency.

5 – Emergency Equipment

Often, a routine doctor’s appointment can become 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

These items are critical for life-saving interventions and can stabilize patients to improve outcomes until they receive further medical or surgical treatment.

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, 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 wear protective clothing when there is a risk of exposure to infectious agents or bodily fluids during examinations and procedures.

You should buy high-quality disposable gloves, aprons, and face masks. Make sure to use these only once before disposing of them properly.

Ensure a sufficient supply of these protective items so you don’t run out at a critical time.

In addition, you should wear protective eye goggles and sterilize them frequently. In addition, keep a sufficient supply of hand sanitizer at your office or clinic in conveniently placed locations.

8 – ECG Unit

An ECG unit is another important piece of equipment for patients with irregular heart activity. It can perform an electrocardiogram, which measures the electrical activity in the patient’s heartbeat.

It records these electrical signals for some time and gives a printed result. As a doctor, this allows you to spot the irregular 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 it 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

Administration is an essential part of a successful clinic or private practice. It is also 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 cannot 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 physicians and doctors in the United States should have at their offices or clinics.

These sets of equipment can help with easier diagnostic and more effective treatment, as well as making your practice more successful.

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