Medical Equipment Rentals For The Operating Room

Operating rooms have come a long way since this picture was taken at a hospital in Massachusetts, circa early to mid 1900s.
(Photo Courtesy: http://www.bahistory.org/StElizabeths.html)

Operating rooms are equipped with the most appropriate medical equipment necessary to carry-out designated procedures. All disciplines, however, call for the presence of standard medical equipment and supplies.

Standard Operating Room Equipment

Surgical procedures take place on an operating table. Often referenced as an operating room table or surgical table, this piece of medical equipment must fulfill specific requirements in order to be classified as such. Those requirements include, but are not limited to, the ability to be adjusted for height, left to right tiltability, and soft padding that is also transparent to x-rays.

Individuals undergoing surgical procedures are typically administered some form of anesthesia, whether in local or general form. An anesthesia machine is employed to deliver the controlled dose of drug that produces reversible loss of consciousness or sensation. The same can be accomplished via an infusion pump, which delivers fluids that can include anesthesia, medication, or blood infusions either intravenously or epidurally. Although controlled, an anesthesiologist monitors the dose and its effects through a patient monitor, which displays and provides information regarding vital signs.

Emergency & Safety Medical Equipment In The OR

Safety precautions are always in place during surgical medical procedures. All operating rooms are equipped with a ventilator, as well as a resuscitation device.

A medical ventilator, also known as a respirator, is comprised of the necessary equipment to control the volume, pressure, and flow of respiration. A ventilator would be used if a patient were to stop breathing or begin having difficulty breathing during a surgical procedure.

If a patient’s heartbeat becomes irregular during an operation, medical personnel may employ the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). An AED may be available solely or included within a crash cart, also containing airway intubation devices, a medication box, and a mask for use while providing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Hospitals enlist in medical equipment rentals for various reasons. Those reasons may include scheduled maintenance or service for standard equipment or an abnormally high influx of patients requiring care. Some facilities rent medical equipment as a cost saving measure by keeping the most  current equipment in their operating rooms, updating as more modern versions become available.