Increasing Patient Comfort: A Guide to Medical Warming Cabinets

Medical warming cabinets play a vital role in helping increase patient comfort by warming blankets and medical fluids used during care. This guide will provide valuable insights into the types of warming cabinets available to the healthcare market as well as factors and features to consider before purchasing a warming cabinet.

You will learn more about:

• Why Medial Warming Cabinets are Important.
• Types of Medical Warming Cabinets
• Factors to Consider When Choosing a Medical Warming Cabinet
• Medical Warming Cabinet FAQs

Why Medical Warming Cabinets are Important.

These days patient satisfaction is vitally important in the big picture of patient care. While there are many ways to care for patients to help boost satisfaction, one of the most soothing is a warm blanket and, when needed, warm fluids such as blood, saline, dextrose, or peritoneal dialysis solutions. Who doesn’t enjoy being enveloped in warmth when you aren’t feeling great?

From a clinical perspective, warm blankets and fluids contribute to recovery through:

• temperature regulation,
• improved blood circulation,
• pain management, and
• reduced metabolic stress.

When the body is warm it can more efficiently redirect energy toward healing and repair.

Types of Medical Warming Cabinets

Medical warming cabinets are specialized medical equipment designed to maintain set temperatures for a variety of items from linens to medical fluids and surgical instruments. There are several types of medical warming cabinets available, each designed to meet specific needs within a medical setting.

Blanket Warming Cabinets

Blanket warming cabinets are generally top of mind when thinking about medical warming cabinets. Within this category of warming cabinet are three distinct types:

• Convection Warming Cabinets for quick, even heating.
• Radiant Warming Cabinets for quiet, gentle heating.
• Forced-Air Warming Cabinets for efficient and rapid heating.

Blanket warming cabinets may be integrated into a facility’s environment as a cabinet or sit on a counter.

They may be mobile and feature one or multiple compartments.

And, with an eye to space optimization and versatility, blanket warming cabinets may be paired with fluid warming cabinets in a combination warming unit.

At the end of the day the choice of blanket warming cabinet depends on the physical space available and the needs of the facility.

Fluid Warming Cabinets

Standard fluid warming cabinets are designed to warm medical fluids such as IV solutions, blood and blood products, and irrigation fluids so patients are comfortable during their administration. Like blanket warming cabinets, fluid warming cabinets may be heated with a variety of systems.

• Convection warming for rapid, even heating of medical fluids.
• Dry Heat warming for gentle warming and precision temperature control.
• Water Bath warming for accurate temperature control and uniform heating.
• Forced-Air warming for efficient warming and versatility in terms of accommodating a variety of fluid container sizes and shapes.

Fluid warmers for blood and blood products are specialized for the unique characteristics and safety considerations of blood and blood products. Some key differences between blood warming cabinets and standard fluid warming cabinets are:

• A constant temperature range of 98.6° F(37°C) to prevent hemolysis or other complications associated with overheating.
• Designed to accommodate blood bags.
• Equipped with temperature monitoring alarms.
• Safety features to help prevent air embolisms during a transfusion.
• More stringent regulatory standards.

The choice of fluid warming cabinet can be contingent on the types of fluids to be warmed and the needs of the facility with respect to warming speed or the accuracy and consistency of the temperature.

Instrument Warming Cabinets

Medical instrument warming cabinets are designed to warm surgical instruments and other medical devices such as endoscopes. Warming surgical instruments helps to:

• Prevent the inadvertent cooling of tissues that could contribute to hypothermia in the cool environment of the operating room.
• Prevent condensation on instruments, reducing the risk of bacterial contamination.
• Improve the surgeon or healthcare professionals’ dexterity and tactile sensations.

While patients may not be consciously aware of the benefits of instrument warming cabinets, the healthcare professionals caring for them are in the form of improved sterility and efficiency.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Medical Warming Cabinet

With the variety of available heating systems and features for medical warming cabinets it is important to carefully assess the needs of a healthcare facility before choosing a warming cabinet.

Although not all inclusive, here are some representative questions to consider before signing off on that medical warming cabinet purchase order.

• What supplies will be housed in the warming cabinet? Blankets and Linens? Medical fluids? Surgical Instruments? Blood or Blood Products?
• Should temperature control features include monitoring and alarms?
• What is the volume and/or size of the supplies intended for the warming cabinet?
• How much space is available in the facility for a medical warming cabinet?
• Would the facility benefit from a combination blanket and fluid warming cabinet?
• Would a mobile warming cabinet help improve workflow efficiency?
• How energy efficient is the model warming cabinet under consideration?
• Does the warming cabinet under consideration comply with industry standards and regulations?

Possibly the most important question to ask is what features are most important to the healthcare staff using and cleaning the warming cabinet. Who better to answer that question than the staff themselves. Make it a priority to include caregivers in the process of vetting medical warming cabinets.

Partner with CME Corp. for Warming Cabinets

CME can help you navigate the wide array of features available for medical warming cabinets so you can be assured you have purchased the highest quality medical warming cabinet for your facility.

Our medical equipment experts have established relationships with leading manufacturers of medical warming cabinets and can work with them to configure warming cabinets suited to your specific needs and budget.

We understand the regulations surrounding warming cabinets and can help ensure you are purchasing medical equipment that is compliant.

While warming cabinets are designed and constructed for durability, they should be delivered with care. CME’s Direct-to-Site delivery and installation teams will ensure your warming cabinets are delivered to their service location within the facility, installed and ready for immediate use … when it is convenient for your staff.

Click CHAT to speak with a CME expert to begin the conversation about your warming cabinet needs.

Medical Warming Cabinets FAQs

How do you determine the right size medical warming cabinet for a facility?

Assess the volume of patients, the types of items to be stored, and available space to determine the appropriate size and internal capacity.

Are digital temperature controls better than analog controls for medical warming cabinets?

Digital controls offer precision while analog controls offer a more traditional approach. The final choice depends on the needs of the facility and the staff using the warming cabinet.

What materials are commonly used in the construction of medical warming cabinets?

Because it is easily cleaned and resistant to corrosion and rust, stainless steel is the best choice for medical warming cart construction.

How can I ensure energy efficiency in a medical warming cabinet?

Look for features such as insulation, double pane glass doors, LED lighting, programmable timers for temperature control, variable speed fans, and energy-efficient heating elements. Always look for an Energy Star certification tag to be sure the unit complies with energy efficiency standards and guidelines.

About CME: CME Corp is the nation’s premier source for healthcare equipment, turnkey logistics, and biomedical services, representing 2 million+ products from more than 2,000 manufacturers. With two corporate offices and 35+ service centers, our mission is to help healthcare facilities nationwide reduce the cost of the equipment they purchase, make their equipment specification, delivery, installation, and maintenance processes more efficient, and help them seamlessly launch, renovate and expand on schedule.