Importance of Medical Equipment and Supplies

Posted on: 14 October 2018

There are medical machines that are vital to human survival. Then there are machines that hospitals can do without if need be. Knowing which machines and medical equipment are most important as well as which ones need to be prioritized above others, is valuable knowledge and a skill to any hospital. The following medical equipment repairs should be placed highest on your hospital's list when your hospital has a lot of equipment that needs repair. 

MRIs, CT, and PET Scanners

All three of these machines are able to quickly spot and diagnose disease and problems in the body that doctors cannot see on their own, and X-ray machines cannot pick up either. If one or more of these machines are malfunctioning, the hospital has to muddle through some cases until the machines are fixed. They are the most expensive machines to repair, that is certain, but they are the most responsible for pinpointing health issues and internal injuries, which leads to faster diagnosis and the start of immediate treatment for everything from tumors to cancer and even Alzheimer's and dementia. 

ECG/EKG

This machine can detect imminent heart failure, heart rhythm irregularities, and heart attacks and myocardial death. The human brain may regulate all of the human body, but without the heart, the person does not receive the life-giving oxygenated blood necessary to survive. This machine helps doctors find heart problems, heart diseases, and dead heart tissue, which can make it extremely difficult for patients to continue pumping blood to their whole body.

If a heart machine on one wing of the hospital is not functioning, the team has to scramble to find an EKG/ECG from another wing of the hospital to diagnose a possible and potentially deadly heart problem. Ergo, this should be the next machine on the list for repairs or a complete replacement, depending on the age of the machine.

Ventilators and Iron Lungs

Ventilators are fairly common medical equipment in hospitals. They help patients who cannot breathe on their own, or who are unconscious and might forget to breathe. While less common, iron lungs still exist in the basements of most hospitals. People with deep sea diving sickness or people who are suffering from extensive burns all over their bodies will need these machines, so it is very important to have at least one that can still run properly. The ventilators, without question, must all run effectively, be maintained regularly, and repaired as needed.