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:
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:
When the body is warm it can more efficiently redirect energy toward healing and repair.
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 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.
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.
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:
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.
Medical instrument warming cabinets are designed to warm surgical instruments and other medical devices such as endoscopes. Warming surgical instruments helps to:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Assess the volume of patients, the types of items to be stored, and available space to determine the appropriate size and internal capacity.
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.
Because it is easily cleaned and resistant to corrosion and rust, stainless steel is the best choice for medical warming cart construction.
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.