Medical Equipment Maintenance Guide

With the advent of medical technologies, healthcare professionals use a wide variety of medical equipment to treat their patients. Generally medical equipment is used to help the doctors in identifying, examining, and treating various medical conditions.

Types of Medical Equipment:

Medical equipments are usually classified into five major categories:

Diagnostic Equipment – Ultrasounds, PET Scanners, CT Scanners, MRI Scanners and X-Ray Machines.
Therapeutic Equipment – Infusion pumps, medical lasers and LASIK surgical machines.
Medical Monitors - ECG, EEG and Blood pressure monitors.
Life Support Equipment – Dialysis machines, ECMO machines, heart and lung machines, medical ventilators and anesthetic machines.
Surgical Equipment – Sophisticated knives, dialysis machines, oxygen pumping machines and scissors.

Tips for maintaining medical equipment:

Whatever may be the type of medical equipment, it needs proper maintenance and care to deliver long service life. Numerous medical equipment service centers are established to help you in maintaining your medical equipment. These service centers are manned by professional and skilled technicians who are trained to provide proper and efficient services. They aid you in installing, upgrading, maintaining, and repairing your medical equipment, thereby ensuring safe, uncontaminated and hassle-free functioning. To repair medical equipment is not a tedious job. Just follow the below tips to keep your medical equipment in right condition.

First of all, you need to research to find a reliable medical equipment repair company. Nowadays, there is a large number of medical equipment repair companies who provide the service of maintaining, repairing, installing, and upgrading used as well as new medical equipments . Your purpose is to choose a medical equipment service provider who meets your requirements.

You can find myriad medical equipment service companies online. Prepare a list of reliable service providers. Check whether they service the medical equipment you are concerned about. Then compare the price, location, and type of service of the various medical equipment service companies shortlisted by you. You can even read customer reviews about each company and their services. This will enable you to choose the best service provider.

You can even take the risk of servicing your medical equipment on your own. For this, you need to study the medical equipment instruction manual and repair handbook. Get an idea about the names and functions of your medical equipment and also know how to repair and maintain. You can even do a web search to gain knowledge about repair and maintenance. Once you have a clear picture, start repairing your medical equipments with full confidence.

If you think it’s risky, find qualified biomedical equipment technicians. They know how to keep, repair, install, or upgrade your medical equipment. It is always better to hire services from qualified technicians, instead of repairing your medical equipment by yourself.

Above all these, buy your medical equipment from reliable suppliers. If any problem occurs, you can contact them for repair and maintenance. Some manufacturers provide life-time warranty for their medical equipment, and so, you can have your equipment running all the time.

Tips for Packing Your Medical Supplies

Are you going for a backpacking trip? If so, you need to carry certain items or things to meet emergency situations. You will surely take food and water for your trip. Along with this, it is mandatory to carry a medical supply kit with you. You can never predict when an accident or medical emergency might occur. Hence, it is always best to carry all necessary medical supplies with you to alleviate your stress. Below are some tips for packing your backpacking medical supplies.

First, purchase a ready made first aid kit from a local store. Generally, a basic medical kit will have medical items such as sterilizing wipes, gauzes, bandages, antibiotic ointment, small scissors, antiseptic wipes and even pain killers. Double check all the items for the expiration date. After checking, keep this first aid kit in your backpack.

Always remember to carry a first aid manual with you. This emergency booklet should contain all the necessary information related to basic first aid and methods for treating various injuries. It would be better if you read the booklet before starting to trip so that you can have a clear idea about its contents. Even if you forget, you can just have a glance and act accordingly in times of emergencies.

Apart from carrying basic first aid kit, you should have few more items specific to your backpacking needs. For instance, you can have a small bottle of calamine lotion to protect yourself from bug or insect bites. Have some roll of bandages and small hooks for attaching it. This might be helpful if you or your group member gets sprains or sore muscles. in addition, carry a butterfly band aid if you incur some serious cut. Always have few sachets of pain reliever and allergic medicines or antihistamines.

Don’t forget to take an eye wash cup. A small cup is enough so that you can clean your eyes in case of any dirt or irritants.

Adapting to new climates and dehydration may cause your lip to chap. Hence, it is advisable to carry chapsticks with you to safeguard your lips from bleeding or cracking.

During backpacking, you will surely experience sore muscles, blisters and bug bites. Generally, places that are nice to visit will have the most dangerous bugs. Never feed the bugs by exposing your skin. Carry bug spray to repel insects. To prevent soothe itchiness, have some calamine lotion or aloe lotion with you.

Don’t forget to pack items such as water and blanket, as it is very essential to treat a victim who is in shock. Also have some iodine tablets to purify the water in case if you run short.

If you have any specific health concerns, then pack those medication and medical equipment in your backpacking. Include blood pressure medication, asthma inhaler and epipen injection if required. Apart from this, pain and fever medication, antibacterial hand sanitizer and sunscreen lotion.

Put all these items in a small ziplock bag or water proof pouch and place it in an easily accessible zipper of your backpack.

Types of Hospital Beds

When we happen to hear the word “hospital bed”, immediately we would visualize a bed that is exclusively meant for hospital use. But, in the recent time, the term hospital/medical bed means medical equipment meant to be used not just in healthcare centers, but also in homes and elderly care centers. Though, there are few aspects common to all types of hospital beds, there are few variations made to meet the specific needs of individuals. Let’s take a look at the different types of medical beds available in today’s market.
Manually-Operated Hospital Beds:
As the name goes, the adjustability features of these beds are operated manually with the aid of hand-operated crank. This makes them less expensive, and hence, they found increased usage in economically-challenged environments. They feature 3 cranks, one to raise and lower the bed, second to adjust the head of the bed, and the third crank controls the foot of the bed.
Semi-electric Hospital Beds:
These types of bedding systems are preferred for home use, the reason being affordable and are covered by Medicare. The bed is controlled by a crank, where as the foot and head are adjusted electrically.
Electric Hospital Beds:
With the name itself, you can know that all the operations are performed electrically. As they enable easy operation by the patient itself, the user can easily get in and out of the bed without any assistance. Those who like to have more comfort at reasonable cost, the basic type of electric bed would be ideal.
Home Care Beds:
These beds are exclusively designed for home use. Full, queen, and king are the standards sizes available. With the features like rising foot and head section, users can have set a comfortable sleeping position for optimal blood circulation and minimize swelling and back pain. While the full and queen-size home care bed employ single unit, the king-size beds operate with the help of two units as they are actually two beds. Though the cost of these beds is higher, they are preferred for the advantages offered.
Hi-Low Beds:
For people who find difficulty in transferring to and from the bed, hi-low beds are ideal. Few beds can just be adjusted vertically, but there are beds that integrate the features of a hi-low bed as well as adjustable bed. Operated using a remote control, they are perfect for home use.
Specialty & Professional Hospital Beds
With the addition advanced features, these beds are highly used by trained medical professionals.
In addition to these variants, there are other types of hospital beds on offer at medical supply stores, like low beds that are designed for those who are liable to fall off beds, in spite of the restraint of the side rails. For patients who are prone to pressure ulcers, with circulatory and/or skin problems, or with burns, low air loss beds are the perfect aid. Clinitron beds and clinitron beds also come with specialty features to serve varied medical purposes.

What bath safety products you need for your bathroom?

Bathrooms should not only look clean and appealing but also be safe. It is a well known fact the most of the home accidents take place in the bathrooms. Children and elders need to have provisions for safety while using the bathrooms. These days, there are number of bath safety products available. All you need to do is to select the right ones to meet your demands of safety.

Depending on who will use the bathroom, you can select bath safety products. Bathrooms can be of potential danger for children, disabled, and elderlies. Preventive measures need to be taken to avoid unforeseen accidents. These products can help avoid accidents in your bathroom to a great extent.

Some of the must haves in your bathrooms, especially if you have kids or elderly persons, are grab bars, shower baskets, non slip bath mats, transfer benches, and bathroom hooks. Each one has their own utility and serves different safety needs.

Grab bars are very useful bathroom safety products, and if you are of the idea that they are used only in hospitals and old age home, then it is time you change your perception. Grab bars are extremely helpful in keeping oneself safe while having a bath or shower. There is no age restriction, anyone can use the grab bars with ease and feel safe while in the bathroom. There are chances that the bathroom floor may turn slippery despite proper washing and cleaning. At such times, a grab bar comes to your rescue. This can raise your comfort level as you feel confident that your loved ones are safe while using the bathroom. There are extraordinary designs available that matches with your bathroom interiors, so that it does not look out of place.

Shower basket is another item that can help you avert an accident in the bathroom. It can be placed in a corner or below the shower nozzle where you can organize your items safely without the fear of them getting under your feet while taking a shower.

Non slip bath mats can prove to be of great help while using a bathtub. Their benefits make them mandatory in any bathroom. If you have a bathtub, then non slip bath mats are a necessity. They stick to the bottom of the tub and can provide the required grip for the person who sits or stands inside the bathtub. They can be used in the shower as well.

Hooks in the bathroom can help to keep your towels and other changing items safely without the fear that it will slip and fall on the wet floor. Though they have no connection with safety, hooks are yet another essential item in your bathroom that could guarantee convenience.

These bath safety products that you can buy from a medical supply store, they can help not only to keep your bathroom safe but also comfortable.

Walking aids for the immobile

The best way to alleviate the situation when one is rendered immobile for a long or short duration happens to be the walking aids. Mobility walking aids are a boon for people suffering from arthritis, sprained ankles, injuries, accidents etc. Choosing a walking aid, of course, depends on the type of injury that one suffers and the duration for which the walking aid will be needed.

There is a range of walking aids available in the market nowadays, and people have the option to choose the best in all aspects. Before venturing to buy a walking aid, it is wise to consult your doctor to find out the extent of your immobility, and which walking aid will ideally suit the purpose.

Now, let’s have a look at the different types of walking aids available to assist people in their maneuverability.

For those who have limited mobility, walking canes seem to be the best option. A walking cane must be able to provide excellent stability to the user. Further, it is important that the patient is utterly comfortable using the walking cane.

Wheelchairs are for people who are completely immobile. Wheel chairs offer the freedom of movement to the immobile. The immobile patients can count on living with dignity if they can move around without the assistance of others.

Foldable and rigid walker frames are perfect for those who need a sturdy walker. This will prove to be useful if the patient has problems with balancing. Tri-walkers are yet another type of walker, which will be handy to move around at home. These walkers come in different materials like steel and aluminum and are light in weight.

The choice of a walking aid for the immobile will mainly depend on its durability, utility, comfort, and price. All these factors do play an important role. Therefore, pick out a walking aid that will suit your needs.

People who are immobile or have mobility problems are susceptible to depression because of the constant help they need from others. When walking a short distance without assistance is impossible, it is bound to have an adverse impact on the dignity of an individual. To counter this problem, walking aids is the best solution.

Walking aids are easy to use, and since there are different varieties readily available in a medical supply store, one can choose based on the budget.

Let people with mobility problems live with dignity. The right walking aid is sure to do wonders to a patient’s self esteem.

Prevent accidents using benches and shower chairs

Bathroom is an accident-prone at any home. Don't take it lightly! A slip in the bathroom could confine one to bed for a life time. This has stressed the need for bathroom safety. Strict adherence to bathroom safety will ensure that the elders and children are safe from a fall in the bathroom.
So, where lies the solution to this problem? The answer, of course, has to be shower chairs or benches. Shower chairs are easy to use, lightweight, easily movable, and does not need much of space. Check out portable shower chairs, as they are considered to be a boon for those experiencing heavy space constraints.
Shower chairs enable a person to sit while on the shower, which results in preventing slips on the bathroom floor to a great extent. Further, people with mobility problems may not be able to stand for a long time or, worse still, stand at all. In such cases, the shower chairs are of great help.
If the necessity for a shower chair becomes mandatory, and there is possibility that one simply cannot do without it, then having one fixed permanently in the shower room would be an apt solution.
Sensing the importance of shower chairs and their need in many households, they are manufactured in different varieties to suit the budget of all people. A retractable shower chair, which can be easily folded, is priced on the higher side, whereas the ones made of low-cost upholstery materials are easily affordable to all.
People with low mobility problems find it difficult to move in and out of the shower room and bathe without assistance. However, a shower chair will make the bathing experience far easier because by sitting down, the patient will not need assistance. This indeed saves immobile people from embarrassing situations. Privacy is something that all human beings prefer, and when it can be derived via a shower chair, why not make use of it?
The question, nevertheless, is preventing accidents. Sitting in a shower chair will prevent such unpleasant incidents to a great extent. You can buy quality ones in medical supply stores.

Medication helpers can make life easier

Many of us forget to take medicines on time though we try to stock sufficient quantity at home. The reason being that we get absorbed in our day-to-day work and forget about the medicines that our body needs for its normal functioning. This could be serious at times, and hence there is a need to maintain a pill taking routine. To get the maximum benefit out of a medicine, you need to take the medicines on time as prescribed by your doctor. But, more often due to our lack of organizing skills we tend to mess them up resulting in confusion and disorder. How can one avoid this? The solution is very simple. There are many medication helpers available to help you manage your medicines in the right manner. This can prove to be the best means to efficiently take care of your medication routines, without having to depend on others.

Buying a pill dispenser and restocking it during weekends can work in a great way to manage your medicines. Such medication helpers are widely available online as well as in the brick and mortar stores, and hence, you can pick the one that can prove to be of assistance in dealing with your medicines on a day-to-day basis. Taking your pills should be part of your routine like brushing your teeth or having your meals.

Some medicines need to be measured and taken in proper dosage to trigger the right action in the body. You can use calibrated medicinal cups to measure the right dosage of your tonics, syrups, or even your pills. They come handy and can provide accurate measurement.

In case, you need to use eye drops, there are aids available too. They eliminate the need form assistance from others and enable you do it on own. So, how does this eye dropper aid work? It hold the bottle in the right angle over the eye and the cup helps to keep your eyes open when the drops are descended into your eyes. There is no wastage of eye drop liquid, and this simple device can provide complete independence to you as there is no help needed.

Pill popper dispensers are specially designed for patients who are old or suffering from arthritis. They are easy to use and can be cleaned without much effort.

There are number of medication helpers that aid in providing proper medication to patients across the world. Buy proper medication helper kits at a medical supply store and get relieved of your tension of taking the correct dosage on time.

Light therapy system - The best treatment for Sleep Apnea

To relieve people from sleep apnea, there are many treatments available. The severity of this sleep disorder differs for every individual, for which physicians can provide the right solutions. First your sleep is studied, followed by the physical structure of your upper airway. The doctors also take into consideration the medical history of the sleep apnea patient before giving treatment suggestions. Though various online sources available to tell you what type of treatment to avail, it is always advised to consult a physician to get complete cure. Only a qualified doctor can tell you which treatment method will ideally work for your sleep disorder.

Sleep apnea is an interruption of breathing while asleep, and this can be life threatening if left unattended. There may be incidents of choking or grasping for breath a number of times. If not treated properly it could lead to severe repercussions. Sleep apnea can be caused due to physical obstruction in the airway, and sometimes surgery can be the only solution.

Light therapy is used as a treatment procedure for people who suffer from circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Normally, the body has a clock that tells you when to sleep and when to be awake. This has a relation with light.

Circadian means a cycle of 24 hours. Some people who have irregularities in circadian cycle are victims of sleep apnea. This could lead to difficulties in conducting your day-to-day activities. One best method to treat this disorder is to opt for light therapy. Exposure to bright light is a method that can help treat people suffering from sleep apnea. This can help the patients to regain their healthy sleep patterns. A patient can enjoy a good night’s sleep with the help of light therapy system.

The concept of light therapy system is that it allows to reset the circadian clock. Doctors who are familiar with sleep disorders need to be consulted to get a permanent solution to sleep apnea disorder. A safe amount of light is passed through a regular length of time to get the desired results. Do not try this treatment method without the guidance of a qualified physician. Proper treatment practices can play an important role in curing sleep apnea.Therapy devices must be bought from reliable medical supply stores.

Blue light therapy used in specific wavelengths can help overcome sleep apnea. It can also improve alertness and can aid in overcoming jet lag. The disrupt sleep patterns leads to sleep apnea as well as snoring. Once their circadian rhythms function properly, sleep disorders like sleep apnea can be countered.

Know about Home Defibrillator

There is not an iota of doubt that a home defibrillator can be a life saving device in case of cardiac arrest. The shock that is generated from the home defibrillator is enough to help revive the heart back to normalcy. Where there is a risk of heart attack, the need for a this specialty medical equipment increases.
Not all can afford a home defibrillator owing to its cost, though it is easily available in the market. When compared with the precious life, money doesn’t matter.
So, here are a few tips on how to buy a home defibrillator:
The quality of the home defibrillator is very important as it is a one time investment.
It is best to go in for a branded home defibrillator. A good brand will not have bad reviews and many call-back ins. When a defibrillator brand is defective, then reviews will definitely start flowing in the internet.
A home defibrillator must be easily usable. After all, you don’t want to spend the rest of your life finding out how to operate one.
A manual must be easy to comprehend with suitable diagrams depicting how to use the home defibrillator.
The heart defibrillator for home use must come with a warranty, after all its an one-time investment.
Find out if the manufacturer offers extra batteries. Check out the battery life regularly to save yours!
These are some of the basics that you need to know before buying a home defibrillator.
The defibrillator is indeed a life-saver. Many have come to realize this and have started to own one to deal in case of emergency. This is a very important and life saving device if you happen to live far off from hospitals and the ambulance may take time to reach your destination.
How does one get to know about the home defibrillator? This is now possible by reading reviews. Many customers pen reviews about the defibrillator they have used. These reviews – positive and negative – will give a clear-cut picture on the worthiness of a defibrillator.
Several brands of home defibrillator are doing round these days in medical supply stores. Therefore, choose the right one after a meticulous research.
Remember! Cardiac arrests come without a warning. So, be prepared to thwart it away with your home defibrillator. A portable heart defibrillator is indeed a boon for all those out there fearing a heart attack anytime!

Keep track of your medication with medication helpers

Medication helpers aid patients to manage their medicines in an efficient manner. Today, you can choose from a wide variety of medication helpers available in the market. The most popular among them are tablet crusher, pill puncher, pill reminder, tablet splitter, and pill dispenser bags, which are beneficial to the users in their own way. According to the needs of the customer, a medication helper can be selected.

A plenty of medication helper websites are there to purely assist people in making a purchase easy. Before buying, you need to make sure that store is reliable. Patients, especially elderlies, find it difficult to keep track of their medication process mainly because they tend to forget routine medication. For those, medication helpers are of great help as they will be in a better position to keep track of what medicines should be consumed when.

If you have to intake a few number of tablets frequently in a day, then weekly day pill dispenser could ideally guide you as to when to take your tablets. The advantage of the pill dispensers is that they have slots dedicated for morning, noon, evening, and night. You can store your tablets as per the prescription into these slots, which makes your daily medication more convenient. There is no way that you can forget your pills if you use a day pill dispenser. No more maintaining time tables and getting paranoid that you have missed a pill.

Another important medication helper you need to posses is the tablet crusher. There are instances where you may be given tablets that you would like to take in powder form. At these junctures, the best aid comes in the form of a tablet crusher. They are small, handy, and can be carried in your pocket too. Whenever you need to take a tablet, you can crush it easily and gallop it with a glass of water. This is most suitable aid for the people who find it difficult to swallow tablets.

In case a tablet has to be taken in smaller dosage, then normally we try to divide it into half, but there are chances that the tablet may be crushed or even be divided unequally. In order to avoid all these inconveniences, you can get yourself a pill splitter, which will optimally help in cutting a tablet into equal halves. You can also store the divided tablets in the tray provided and use them whenever need arises.

Like these aids, there are many medication helpers that are designed to assist patients in keeping track of their medication and use their medicines efficiently. These products can be easily availed from a medical supply store, and the cost is quite affordable too. Medication helpers are a must in every household that houses people who take frequent medication.

How to choose your walking aids?

Old age or accidents can cause a person to lose mobility totally or limit the mobility. In such circumstances, the sufferer will find very difficult to maneuver, even within the house. How does one get rid of this problem? The answer has to be walking aids.

When we think of walking aids, the most common and affordable one has to be the walking canes. These have been in use since time immemorial. Canes are easy to use and can be carried anywhere without much effort. Grip canes are the best option for people suffering from arthritis.

Walking sticks, another form of walking aid, are either made of wood or steel and hence last longer. These sticks come with handles of various shapes and sizes, which ensure optimum grip. If you want the walking stick to be more personalized, choose from a variety of colors and carved handles.

If you are a frequent traveler wanting of an optimal walking assistance, then the walking stick seat is an amazing gadget, because it can be used as a stick as well as a seat. It is a boon to those who often stand in a long-waiting queue.

Crutches, one among the types of walking aid, have been in usage for several decades. They come handy in case of an accident that limits the mobility of a person for certain duration. Crutches are also easy to use and ideal for space constraint environments as they require less space.

Wheelchairs are ideal for people who find it difficult to walk. There are several types of wheelchairs available these days to suit varied requirements of the patients and budget they allocate for it.

Manual wheelchairs are those that are operated by hands. This is perfect for people whose upper part of the body functions properly. Power wheel chairs, on the other hand, are are operated by battery and requires very little maneuvering from the patients. Power wheelchairs are easy to move around in shopping malls, department stores, and in any compact space .

For definitive support, walkers are the best option. Since they comes with four legs, these walking aids are sturdy and offer a good walking experience. Walkers, also known as rollators, come with different accessories like crutch and stick holders, trays, seats, shopping baskets, and bags for enhanced usage.

Walking aids offer greater freedom to people with mobility problems. One need not seek the assistance of a care giver to move around. Analyze how immobile you are and then decide on the walking aid that will suit you the best. You can buy one in any decent medical supply store. If not sure of, your doctor or physiotherapist will be able to guide you better in this task.