Crash carts or code carts are one of the most important tools used at medical facilities. If one of these code blue carts is called into action, someone's life is on the line. This is why each emergency crash cart should be optimized to be as efficient as possible. Here are some common issues medical staffers have faced with these medical carts and the innovations Metro has created to combat them.
Proper Movement is a Must
One common issue that comes up in crash cart design is maneuverability. These medical carts need to be able to handle corners and be light enough for staff to move through the corridors as quickly as possible. Older, heavier carts without a proper caster design or steering system can make it very difficult for the cart to reach its destination efficiently.
To combat these issues, Metro created specially designed steering components and a fifth wheel system in the center of the cart to make it easy for staff to make turns and move quickly. These features together create one of the best systems on the market today for cart maneuverability.
The steering component locks the fifth wheel with a simple handle. By pulling back on the handle, the center caster is dropped down and acts as a directional caster keeping the cart moving efficiently.
Metro polymer crash carts are also specifically designed to be lighter than other cart designs making it easier to push the cart when it is filled with necessary supplies. The polymer also can take a beating, so if your cart gets thrown around, you don’t have to worry about the cart denting or having other issues.
Allowing Multiple Access Points
Storage design is also a common issue when designing crash carts. Code carts require many specific storage areas to remain efficient in a code blue situation. Unlike specific treatment carts or general storage carts, a proper crash cart design requires the ability of multiple team members to access different areas of the cart simultaneously. Some crash carts are not properly designed to allow multiple access points slowing down the team during time-sensitive codes.
Metro Lifeline carts solved this issue by creating multiple access points and passive locking compartments, ensuring that the team can easily access anything they would need during a code.
Another issue that comes up often is organization. Metro drawers offer customizable organizers, ensuring that supplies are easy to access.
Security is Crucial
Maintaining a secure environment for the items in the cart is majorly important. The Joint Commission has many guidelines to secure crash cart supplies. For example, according to TJC Standard MM.2.30, emergency medications and/or supplies, if any, should be consistently available, controlled, and secured. But in an emergency situation, how do you keep supplies safe without slowing down the team?
The answer is our passive lock system. Metro Lifeline carts offer a passive lock design that keeps every area of the cart secure but also makes it easy for the team to access any section of the cart.
This design makes it easy to meet necessary security regulations and makes daily audits easier by providing a visual cue in the form of passive seals in each storage area.
About CME: CME Corp is a full-service healthcare equipment and turn-key logistics company providing personalized support and service. With service centers nationwide, CME offers more than 2 million medical products from a total of over 2,000 manufacturers. CME is a healthcare system's complete equipment solution by providing product selection, sales, warehousing, assembly, staging, direct-to-site delivery, installation, and biomedical services for all its equipment.
About Metro: For over 80 years, Metro has been the world's leading manufacturer of storage and transport equipment. From our innovative wire and polymer shelving lines to the revolutionary Starsys product line, and a broad range of healthcare cart solutions including the Lifeline emergency cart, Flexline procedure carts and Lionville series medication carts, Metro puts space to work in healthcare facilities of all sizes.
