CHDFNigeria
Below are equipment’s commonly used in Cardiac health care facilities. Getting to know about them will probably make you and your loves ones less anxious when you eventually see them face to face.
Common non-invasive equipments in cardiology clinic are ECG, and echo machine.
Credit to TCA/BUTH team for the images. (pictures were taken before 2022, where writer practised)
1. Electrocardiography (ECG)
Figure 1: ECG machine.
This machine is used for a test called Electrocardiogram, the test measures the electrical activities in the heart and records this in a special graph paper. Some sticky metal pins called electrodes are attached to your body and connected to the clips. The machine is turned on and it records a 10 seconds electrical activity.
2. Echocardiography
Figure 2: Echo machine
The echocardiography (echo) test is the most commonly requested diagnostic investigation for Congenital Heart Disease. The test deploys sound wave to study structure and their activities in the heart.
3. Mechanical Ventilator
Figure 3: Mechanical Ventilators (Mindray and Maquet)
Mechanical ventilators does the work of breathing either fully (for patient who cannot breathe by themselves at all) or partly (assisting patients effort). It is commonly called life support machine. The machine works by connecting to an endo or naso tracheal tube. When a patient starts to breath well by themselves, the patient is weaned off from the machine and disconnected to resume spontaneous breathing , first with oxygen support.
4. Arterial blood gas machine
Figure 4: ABG machines
The machines above helps in determining the level of ventilation and oxygenation in the blood. Blood sample is collected from the patient and the machine analyses the sample to print out the result. The result of the test shows the level of acidity or alkalinity in the blood.
5. Infusion and syringe pumps
Figure 5: Syringe and infusion pump
These machines are used to deliver continuous intravenous medications at a regulated rate and dose. Inotropes which goes at very small rate millilitres per hour are given with this machine.
6. Laryngoscope
Figure 6: Laryngoscope
The laryngoscope is an Anaesthetist tool, it is used to assess the airway and also helps in the placement of endotracheal tube(breathing tube connector)
7. Intubation set
Figure 7 intubation/Re intubation set
The table above is always kept in the ICU, by the bedside when a patient is intubated (has a breathing/life support in). In the event that the ETT gets blocked, disconnected and a replacement is needed, this set allows for fast response. Sometimes when a patient is extubated (life support removed) he/she might require it again when she gets tired or has respiratory distress.
The set contains Laryngoscope with different blade sizes, Endotracheal tube (C shaped in the sterile pack) bag valve mask, facemask of various sizes, medication etc.
8. Defibrillator
Figure 8: Defibrillator
The machine above is used to deliver shock to the heart in case of cardiac arrest, many times, this machine restarts the heart.
9. Intra-aortic baloon pump (IABP)
Intra-Aortic Baloon Pump is a machine used to support the Aorta (biggest artery in the body) promotes perfusion to major organs in the body as well. It is commonly used for adult patients.
Figure 9: IABP
10. Cardiac monitor
This is used to monitor haemodynamic functioning of the patient,
Figure 10: Cardiac Monitor
11. Crash Trolley/Cart
This trolley is brought out in cardiac arrest or emergency situations. It contains various devices, consumables and drug to restore life function to patients who suffer from cardiac arrest. This trolly may be brough close to a patient who shows signs of severe haemodynamic instability even before they have a cardiac arrest episode.
12. CATH LAB
Figure 12: Cardiac catheterization lab/ Cath. lab
The Cath. lab is a sterile area for diagnostic and corrective cardiac catheterization procedures. The interventional cardiologist, Nurses, anaesthetist, cardiac physiologist, technicians’ etc work in this unit.
