El Dorado Hills, CA USA – American River Medical has launched a project to officially define the commonly used word phrase “Medical Cart” for the benefit of the greater medical cart industry. Originally defined online in 2011 by American River Medical, now the project is going in front of the dictionary officials at Merriam-Webster for review and acceptance.

Project Basics – see complete project to learn more

Project: Medical Cart Definition – Define What You Do

What: Define What You Do – After eight years in medical carts around 2011 American River Medical President, Tagg Neal, heard a motivational speech which said, “Define What You Do.” He had dedicated nearly a decade of his career to medical carts and asked the question, “What is the definition of a medical cart?” After research he found it had never been defined – a definition did not exist. He performed a process to define the word phrase “Medical Cart” which was used dozens of times a day in his life. After distillation and refinement he posted his proposed definition on this website in 2011 and it has been American River Medical’s working definition ever since:

Medical Cart – noun, /med-i-kul – ‘kart/; “Mobile systems, solutions, or workstations that optimize the storage, mobilization, and access of healthcare equipment, supplies, medication, and electronic data.” -American River Medical, LLC

Who: American River Medical is a innovation, design and service company focused on medical cart and storage systems for healthcare. We welcome the opportunity for potential project collaboration

Why: Our mission is to provide medical cart systems, services, and solutions that make healthcare professionals’ calling more meaningful, efficient and effective

Example: The hospital utilizes various “Medical carts” to optimize the storage, mobility, and access of medical equipment, supplies, medication, and electronic data for their staff’s practice of healthcare

This project ‘medical cart definition – define what you do’ may be followed for ongoing updates under projects , directly under ‘medical cart definition – define what you do‘ or via e-mail sign up on the footer of this page, or by following News on our own View & Learn blog

Who We Are: American River Medical is a innovation, design and service company focused on medical cart and storage systems for healthcare. We embrace project based work, collaboration, and thinking “Outside the box” that offer opportunities to positively impact medical cart system solutions for healthcare. We fuse our experience to apply innovation where inefficiencies exist, and creativity to apply design improvements for medical cart system solutions. True Solutions. We are a certified Veteran Owned Small Business and a sought after diversified supplier for hundreds of healthcare systems. As a medical professional, you’ve dedicated yourself to patient care. Our mission is to provide medical cart systems, services, and solutions that make your calling more meaningful, efficient and effective.

El Dorado Hills, CA USA – American River Medical has launched a project to identify solutions for the well known associated problems with today’s “Medical cart mobile power systems.”

Project Basics – see complete project to learn more

Project: Medical Cart Mobile Power Systems

What: medical cart mobile power systems are the on board (on cart) power supply systems or components that power adjunct peripherals, typically of the IT category, and potentially the cart’s own access control system.

Problem: medical cart power systems are negatively impacting workplace safety, costs and quality of care

This project ‘medical cart mobile power systems’ may be followed for ongoing updates under projects , directly under ‘medical cart mobile power systems project‘, or via e-mail sign up on the footer of this page, or by following News on our own View & Learn blog

Code Blue Crash Cart Access

In a hospital environment when a patient stops breathing the event is known as a “Code Blue”.  Code Blue is utilized to indicate a patient requiring resuscitation or otherwise in need of immediate medical attention, most often as the result of a respiratory arrest or cardiac arrest.

This event is announced over the hospital public announcement system.  The staff team members assigned at that time to the “Code Blue” team, will immediately drop what they are doing (non life threatening), and run to the patient’s identified location to assist.  This is often called “crashing” and the equally common name “Crash Cart”.

Code blue crash carts are filled, secured, and then stored throughout the hospital. Instant access to code blue crash carts are of life or death importance.  Consequently, ensuring items are stocked, organized, and ready for use is of equal importance.

Code Blue Crash Cart Access Video Clip Intro

Code Blue Crash Cart Access provides both instant accessibility as well as content integrity

To meet crucial criteria simultaneously hospitals utilize a “Proof of  Entry” or break-a-way flap.  This flap enables the drawers to be physically and visually secure. An open loop extends from the cart, through a slot in the attached flap, and allows for a secure plastic seal to be utilized.

This plastic seal visually shows the cart and the integrity of the contents are secure, while permitting any adult to “pull” open one of the drawers, and break-a-way the plastic seal in an emergency code situation. (Video #3 bottom, link here)
This feature is standard by cart manufacturers of Code Blue Crash Carts. Some of the names used are:

1. Proof of Entry Flap
2. Break-a-way-bar (lock)
3. Code-flap
4. Quick-Access Lock
5. Emergency Lock
6. Point of Entry Flap
7. Break-a-way-flap
8. Lever lock

Code Blue Crash Cart Access Video – Supply Drawers

Central supply and traction are typical departments to restock the carts after use. Important to note, the narcotic drawer is restocked by the pharmacy department.  With a single proof of entry flap, the drug “narcotic” drawer must be reconciled by the pharmacy to ensure all content is stocked and available for the next code blue patient. This becomes an issue of unnecessary labor when the contents of that specific drawer were not accessed. If the lock bar on the entire cart was “broken” then the entire cart will have to be reconciled and restocked as needed. This additional step in the reconciliation process can cost hospitals considerable amounts of labor, additional risk, and of course financial resources.

At the center of each of those reconciliations is “human interaction”, and the touching and manipulating of narcotics.  Human interaction increases the code blue crash cart’s liability of error and abuse.

Manufacturer’s of code blue crash carts provide the ability to have separate break-a-way flaps for narcotic drawers. The narcotic drawer or medication drawer is frequently the only drawer accessed during a code blue event.

By signifying the need to only reconcile the narcotics drawer  the hospital can prevent potential labor, risk, and the financial implications of both. Additionally you will have more carts available for rotation and use at any given time, reducing the total cart population required for a code blue crash cart exchange system.

To view the 2001 JCAHO article regarding crash cart and medication security guidelines, Security of Crash Carts and Medication Security in other Areas, click here.

Code Blue Crash Cart Access Video – Security

Code Blue Crash Cart Access Paramount

By implementing a Code Blue Crash Cart System with a separate break-away flap for the narcotic drawer, in the instance of the most common code-blue event when only that drawer is accessed, the hospital only has to reconcile that single drawer and not all the other supply drawers. This small change of feature, allowing for a minor change in standard workflow operations, will have a BIG impact on your hospital’s Code Blue Crash Cart System efficiency.

In summary, proof of entry systems are wonderful for Code Blue Crash Cart Access. Content  integrity is secured through a visual system that deters unintentional entry, while still providing staff with the life saving equipment, protocols, and pharmacology necessary to provide the absolute best care possible during code blue crash cart access. And hopefully, save a life.