Medical Equipment Safety

Medical Equipment Safety
At The Medical City, your safety is important to us. This information material is about helping you use your medical equipment safely.

Medical equipment include such devices as oxygen pump, vital signs monitoring machine, nebulizer, wheelchairs, IV stand and others.

If you are using any medical equipment, ask your doctor, nurse or technician the following:

• What is this machine for? Why is it being used on me?
• How is it supposed to work?
• What is it supposed to do for me?
• Will it give out any alerting sound and what should I do if that happens?
• What precautions do I need to take so that I can use the equipment safely?

Call the attention of your nurse if there seems to be unusual or different from what the equipment is supposed to do.

If you need to adjust or remove the medical equipment you are using, call for assistance.

Check that the brakes are locked if you are getting in or out of wheelchairs.

Make sure that the rails of your bed are locked when they are raised.

If you are bringing medical equipment home, ask for written instructions on how to operate it. Be sure that you have the name of a person from the hospital and his/her telephone number to call if you have questions.

Continue medical equipment safety at home
Use your medical equipment for its intended use only. Carefully read the equipment's instructions/manual before using. Be very cautious if you have oxygen equipment at home. It is highly flammable.

In case of damage or breakdown, do not use the equipment. Call up the number given to you for instructions.

Remember, YOU are our important partner in your care. Make sure that you read and understand these reminders. These are for your safety.

Sources:
www.upmc.com
www.ynhh.com/choice/safety.html
TMC Medical Quality improvement Office
www.hopkinsmedicine.org

General safety tips when using electrical medical equipment

• Do not use damaged sockets or power outlets.
• Use extension cords on a temporary basis; they are not safe as permanent household wiring. Make sure the cord is not wrapped around itself or another object
• Don't run electrical cords underneath rugs, carpets or furniture. Walking on cords can break wiring and cause a fire.
• Keep all electrical cords out of reach and out of sight so that children and pets won't pull appliances off
• Don't overload electrical outlets.
• Do not use any electrical items in the bathroom unless specifically designed for use there. Take care not to get the equipment wet and avoid plugging and unplugging with wet hands.
• Don't remove a plug from a power point by pulling on the cord; pull the plug instead.
• Never try to repair electrical products yourself.
• Do not use items with damaged cords so that the wires are exposed. Either repair or replace.
• Check items regularly
• Unplug small appliances when not in use, before cleaning, and never dip them into water.
• Turn off electrical products if the cord overheats.
• Never allow children to play with outlets and electrical equipment. Place "child proof" devices on all outlets.

Sources:
www.electricity-guide.org.uk
www.aps.com/main/services/residential/safety/safety_1.html
www.talgov.com/you/electric/elecsafety.cfm