Arrest carts are essential elements within any health center to attend, in optimal conditions, cases of cardiorespiratory arrest with specific material.
In general, these carts are used rarely but, given that they are used in emergency situations, it is necessary to protocolize the material they must include, how it must be organized, check expiration dates, etc. so that, when the time comes, everything necessary is available, minimizing the possibility of error.
Precautions:
-The stop car will be located in a predetermined, accessible and known place.
-All nursing staff must have knowledge of the content, layout of the material and medication of the crash cart.
-The distribution of the material and medication in the cart will be done so that everything is visible and well labeled for quick use of all its components.
-The stop cart must always be checked and ready for use.
What to check?
The preparation of the stop cart (material and medication) must be done periodically, at least once a day, this periodicity being established by those responsible for the Unit and indicating who is the personnel in charge of carrying it out. Preparation includes inspection, cleaning and replacement.
In Medication: The existence, expiration and number of units.
In material: The existence, expiration and number of units. Ambú+valve+mask (ready to ventilate). o Laryngoscope: Checking its correct operation.
To consider:
The arrangement of the material on the arrest cart, as well as the medication, will tend to be homogeneous in all hospital units.
-Each hospital unit will consider the importance of establishing quantity and/or other equipment (drugs and/or materials) according to the specific characteristics of the patients treated there.
-There must be a sufficient number of replacements for each instrument and/or medication that may be needed during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
-The specified medication may vary over time according to the recommendations of the ILCOR (Internatinal Liaison Committee on Resuscitation).