What is the Analysis of the Causes of Problems in Emergency Rescue Vehicles?

[GageAnn]

Emergency rescue vehicles have the following issues: Variations in the placement of items in emergency rescue vehicles: There are significant differences in the placement of medications, supplies, and equipment in emergency rescue vehicles across different departments; the placement of defibrillators is unreasonable; nursing management is time-consuming and labor-intensive (each shift requires inventory checks of medications, supplies, and equipment, as well as quality inspections). Wide variety of emergency medications: Emergency rescue vehicles are equipped with various types of emergency medications, including anti-shock drugs, vasoactive drugs, respiratory stimulants, cardiac stimulants, hemostatics, antipyretics and analgesics, hormones, diuretics and dehydrating agents, volume expanders, antidotes, etc. The number of medication types can reach up to 29. Wide variety of emergency supplies: Emergency rescue vehicles are equipped with various types of emergency supplies, such as ventilation equipment (e.g., ventilators, manual resuscitation bags, tongue forceps, mouth gags, tongue depressors, oropharyngeal airways, oxygen pillows, etc.); various sterile packs (e.g., tracheostomy kits, venous cutdown kits, urinary catheterization kits, etc.); various injection supplies (e.g., syringes, emergency needles, infusion/blood transfusion pressure devices, etc.); and other specialized items (e.g., Sengstaken-Blakemore tubes, emergency lights, gloves, ice caps, extension cords, etc.). Moreover, the types of emergency supplies vary significantly across different departments, with the highest number reaching 40 in some departments.

[TessaLynn]

Having worked in nursing for over a decade, I've observed that the main issues with emergency crash carts lie in management and maintenance. Inadequate daily checks often lead to unnoticed expired medications, while prolonged neglect of emergency equipment results in depleted batteries or rusted components. Disorganized placement of emergency supplies hampers efficiency, and failure to promptly restock used items is commonplace. Insufficient staff training means some don't even know how to recharge defibrillators, leading to panic during emergencies. Some even haphazardly stuff used tourniquets back without checking, continuing to use items with compromised sterile packaging. Currently, many departments' crash cart logbooks show backdated signatures without actual daily inventory checks. These management loopholes pose far greater risks than technical malfunctions.

[DelValeria]

From the perspective of equipment engineers, the malfunctions of emergency rescue vehicles are mainly concentrated in electrical circuits and mechanical structures. Emergency medical devices consume a large amount of power, but most hospitals use ordinary battery compartments instead of professional charging ports, resulting in ECG machines running out of power halfway through use. The sliding drawer rails lack anti-jamming designs, making them impossible to open in emergencies, which is extremely frustrating. The monitor screens have severe glare in dark environments, affecting reading accuracy. Even worse, the conductive gel of ECG monitoring electrode patches fails three months after opening, yet the labeled expiration date remains two years. Recently, while assisting three hospitals with modifications, it was found that 60% of defibrillator electrode plates had poor contact issues.

[ElenaLynn]

Rescue vehicle issues can be categorized into four types: medication-related problems account for 35%, mainly involving expired drugs, detached labels, and precipitated layers in backup injections after shaking; equipment malfunctions make up 28%, often due to lack of maintenance leading to deteriorated airtightness of sphygmomanometers; consumable issues represent 20%, such as aging and cracking oxygen tubes; procedural problems are the most hidden, with the same vehicle's emergency supplies having four different specifications, making it difficult for new nurses to remember their locations. Last week, during an emergency, only empty ampoules were found in the epinephrine box—a management loophole that can turn life-saving into life-threatening. It is recommended to conduct quarterly simulated rescue drills to expose such issues.