Checking equipment

Resuscitation equipment must be checked on a daily basis by the clinical team responsible for it (Resuscitation Council (UK), 2000).

A speedy and efficient response is essential in the event of a cardiac arrest. Procedures should therefore be in place to ensure that all the necessary resuscitation equipment is immediately available and in good working order. Lack of, or faulty, equipment during a resuscitation attempt can prejudice a successful outcome, increase stress levels and may cause conflict within the team responding to an emergency (Jevon and Raby, 2001).

It is often the nurse's role to undertake the routine checking of the resuscitation trolley and cardiopulmonary equipment. Local circumstances and equipment will dictate the checking procedures required. Check the trolley contents and expiry dates of the contents against an equipment inventory based on national guidelines (Resuscitation Council (UK), 2000). In addition, certain items of equipment, for example, the defibrillator, and oxygen and suction devices, will require their own specific checks.

It is most important that all electrical equipment is checked and stored following the instructions of the manufacturer and of the local electrobiomedical engineering department (EBME). Checking procedures, together with an equipment inventory, should be readily available for staff to refer to.

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