Code Cart/Box

[morgan_porgan]

Hey all! So on my unit we have a "code box" for emergencies. It basically is a tackle box and has different ziploc bags with IV supplies, Intubation supplies, code medications, ect. Anything you need for an emergency, its in there.

The NICU has one, L&D, our OR's and emergency rooms. I'm on a committee to reconstruct this box into something better. During an emergency, it's impossible to navigate. Each bag looks the same. Nothing is easy to grab. Things get thrown everywhere.

SO i was wondering what your units use for codes for supplies?

[KRVRN, BSN, RN]

We have a roll around cart, like the adult one but smaller.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

We use a huge tackle box style one. We separate things into the compartments and trays, not in bags. It has 3 levels of trays when you open it. Top tray is meds, syringes, needles. I can't remember the order of other stuff. We took our intubation stuff out and have a separate box for that. The only thing we bundle together are needle aspiration kits.?!

[HyperSaurus, RN, BSN]

We have NRP boxes for deliveries, which is a tall tackle box with several drawers, as well as what looks like an archetypal 'crash cart' and a procedures cart.

[tinkerbell419]

Its also known as the resuscitation trolley and is categorised using the Airway, Breathing, Circulation system but its a logical order and is locked with a seal

[NICURN29]

We have a code cart with our defibrillator on it and drawers underneath. Our med boxes are in our Accudose cabinet and contain all meds we need for a code or for transport.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

We have the rolling carts thru-out the hospital. There is a defibrillator on the top; the meds/supplies are lined up neatly in the drawers. All of the respiratory stuff is in tackle boxes, so if you just plan to intubate, you just grab the tackle box and don't open the crash cart. Each cart has plastic sheets of the ACLS/PALS info hanging on them, and a printed summary of what is in each drawer. Whatever system you use, each nurse needs to familiarize themselves with where everything is, and look it over monthly or so. Really, if the nurses would do this frequently, and rotate who checks the crash cart, they would be more familiar with it, and not look frantically thru everything during a code.

[katierobin23]

We have three code carts that we use within the unit. Then we have two tackle boxes that we can bring to deliveries. The ORs all have tackle boxes as well. On L&D there is a cart that we can use, but we prefer our boxes. Respiratory has a separate intubation box and there is a cart with supplies for them in the ORs.

[HyperSaurus, RN, BSN]

We have the rolling carts thru-out the hospital. There is a defibrillator on the top; the meds/supplies are lined up neatly in the drawers. All of the respiratory stuff is in tackle boxes, so if you just plan to intubate, you just grab the tackle box and don't open the crash cart. Each cart has plastic sheets of the ACLS/PALS info hanging on them, and a printed summary of what is in each drawer. Whatever system you use, each nurse needs to familiarize themselves with where everything is, and look it over monthly or so. Really, if the nurses would do this frequently, and rotate who checks the crash cart, they would be more familiar with it, and not look frantically thru everything during a code.

Oh, that reminds me, we also have intubation tackle boxes at every bedside (at least in the main NICU area)

[staycalm]

like most of you, we have locked code carts. It's everything you would need. We also came up with a huge binder- think zippered trapper keeper mega thick. In the binder is the "most used" items for a delivery situation (meconium suction, various ett sizes, suction tubing, etc), each organized in a clear 3punched folder bag- just like flipping through a book of supplies. It was a nice process improvement because it is so quick to grab & less to go through to get obvious equipment specific for delivery. The binder is also much quicker to restock. A code cart is of course available to "expand" on the code if necessary. The code cart is organized with extra mini drawer dividers, but all in logical order. Airway, IV supplies, chest tubes, UAC, etc. It was also labeled recently on the side of the cart with easy to read large font signage listing the main contents of each drawer. We even have laminated & labeled pictures of where contents are kept for each drawer (easy to find items, but also clear on how it should be restocked after a code) All of our code meds are kept in a "code pink box". this is a smaller, clear tackle box (but only about the size of a pencil case). It's a jiff to get- in top drawer (as well as many other places). One step even further- is also a weight guide/chart with NRP recommendations for epi dosing (iv vs ett), narcan, sodium bicarb, etc. Good luck!

[umcRN, BSN, RN]

same code cart used throughout the hospital (children's hospital). Top drawer has meds, each subsequent drawer is organized by weight with each weight being a different color drawer, I'm not sure the exacts but I believe first drawer is 0.5kg-2kg, then 3kg-5kg, 5-10, 10-25...etc. We keep intubation trays between every room that has all the various ett sizes and as far as access goes every patient has a bedside cart with just about every supply you could need (private rooms). There is a defibrillator and pads on top of the cart