CRASH CART MANAGEMENT
Prepared By :
Dr. Prabhakaran Arivazhagan
Ms. V. Sathya
Reviewed By :
Mr. Mahadevan Subramaniyan
Dr.Lalllu Joseph
Mrs. Vijayalakshmi
Dr.Anuradha Pichumani
Mr. Thirumal Murgan
Ms.Sudha Srinivasan
Ms. Muthumari
Dr. Waseem
Dr Joseph Fidelis
Crash cart
Crash cart is a cabinet contains,
High risk medications / Emergency
medicines
Defibrillator & Monitor
Easily movable/ accessible
Used during critical situations
The size, shape and contents of a crash
cart may be different between hospital
to hospital.
An adult crash cart is set up differently
than a paediatric crash cart.
Usage of crash cart
To avoid sentinel events
To start the treatment immediately
To provide immediate access to supplies and medications
To facilitate coordination of emergency equipment
To ensure a properly stocked crash carts will be readily available
To ensures a properly functioning defibrillator will be readily
available
To save the valuable time at the time of emergency
It can be mobilized which allows the treatment to come to the
patient when needed.
Objectives of Crash Cart
To identify what is the crash cart consists of
To identify how to arrange crash cart contents according to policy of
the organisation.
To determine the role of nurse during checking crash cart
To know the maintenance of crash cart
To maintain the crash cart stock for one day according to the area
To ensure crash cart is well maintained and cleaned as per the
hospital policy.
Policies of the crash cart
Crash cart must be checked by Assigned Nurse on monthly basis for expiry
checking and condition of the equipment. The crash cart is also checked and
replaced immediately after its use.
Standardization must be maintained across the hospital.
Same list of medicines
Stored in same order.
Look alike and sound alike medicines should be stored separately as per
policy
Defibrillator, equipment maintained by Biomedical Engineer checked by the
ward nurse on daily basis.
Crash carts are located in a place which is free of obstacles and can be easily
pulled to the location where needed.
Procedures for checking crash
cart
After the emergency call, the nurse incharge shall tally the
medications/drugs/ items used with the patients case sheet.
The incharge nurse shall raise an indent for the items used after
validation by the clinical pharmacist or replace from pharmacy /
store.
The assigned pharmacist shall note the indent and coordinate for
replacement of the used items.
Check as per the check list.
Areas of the crash cart
1. Emergency department
2. Intensive Care Unit
3. Post Operative ward
4. Operation theatre
5. Paediatric ward
6. Maternity ward
7. All Medical & Surgical ward
8. Outpatient department
9. CT Scan area/ Echo/ Treadmill
10. Dialysis unit
11. Cathlab
12. Other areas should be easily accessible with near by crash cart
Contents of Crash Cart
Life Support Education Lab- The university of Texas
Life Support Education Lab- The university of Texas
Life Support Education Lab- The university of Texas
Life Support Education Lab- The university of Texas
Drawer 1 – Medication Drawer
Crash Cart Top (2) Amiodorone
(1) Atropine 1 mg
(2) Vasopressin
Defibrillator with leads (2) Calcium gluconate
Disposable gloves (1) Dextrose 50% 5ml
Sharps container (2) Isuprel
(1) package of defibrillator pads (4) Epinephrine 1 mg
(3) Lidocaine 100mg
Side (2) Sodium Bacarbonate 50 meq
02 tank (3) Dopamine
Backboard (2) Lasix
(2) Dobutamine
(2) Tridil (nitroglycerin)
(2) Pronestyl
(2) Nipride
(2) Verapamil
(1) Magnesium sulfate
Drawer 2 – Airway Management Drawer Drawer 3 Venipuncture tubes and equipment
(1) 20 ml syringe
Airways, oral, assorted sizes (4) 3 ml syringes
Airways, nasal trumpet, assorted sizes (1) TB syringe
Intubation tray – laryngoscopes, non-disposable and IV Start Equipment (4) 18 gauge angiocaths
disposable with blades (4) 20 gauge angiocaths
K-Y jelly (2), viscous xylocaine (1) (1) 22 gauge angiocath
(2) 10 cc syringes Tourniquet
Stylet Assorted butterflies
Tape
(1) batteries 3 way stopcock
ET tubes – sizes 3.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5 Assorted needles
Yankauer suction Bandaids
Suction tubing Betadine swabs
Suction catheter tray Alcohol swabs
02 mask with tubing Saline locks
Nasal cannula Lidocaine topical solution
(2) ABG kits Radial artery catheterization set
Tape
Drawer 5
Drawer 4 IV solutions: 1000 ml each of D5W, RL, NS
500 ml each D5W, NS
Electrodes (2) 100 ml NS
B/P cuff with stethoscope (2) 500 ml Lidocaine 2 grams
Assorted sterile gloves (1) Dobutamine
•Dopamine
(2) Packages of defibrillator pads
•Amiodarone IVPB
NG tube Tubing (2) microdrips (60 drops/ml)
(1) 60 ml syringe (2) macrodrips (15 drops/ml)
Locks (2) extension sets
Medication additive labels
