PLANNING FOR EMERGENCIES – The Perfusion Crash Cart

The Team

PLANNING FOR EMERGENCIES – The Perfusion Crash Cart

This is a ‘perfusion crash cart’ designed by me for my perfusionist and made locally .

It comprises a industrial grade steel alloy body with medium sized wheels which allow fast mobility and keeps all essential items at one place . It can be easily made in any workshop and can be customized .
We have one perfusionist per OR (sometimes less !!!).

So it is useful to have most essentials available on site and not in the store which is a little distance away . Most of the essentials (fluids, cannulae, oxygenators etc) can be required at very short notice eg an IVC cannula may not negotiate easily and so a smaller size may be required with the patient on partial CPB .

The perfusionist obviously cannot leave his post to get the smaller cannula .The cart was designed in 2001 with invaluable input from my able perfusionist at that time – Mr Prateek Mishra – seen in the pic in the center . A checklist is attached and the cart is kept ‘primed’ at all times .
I would like to know how my perfusionist friends manage keeping emergency items at arm’s reach ?

Dr. Harinder Singh Bedi