Quality Standards: Community hospitals care equipment and drug lists

Authors
Resuscitation Council UK
Originally published January 2016. Last updated May 2020.
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Healthcare organisations have an obligation to provide a high-quality resuscitation service, and to ensure that staff are trained and updated regularly to a level of proficiency appropriate to each individual’s expected role.

As part of the quality standards for cardiopulmonary resuscitation practice and training this document provides lists of the minimum equipment and drugs required for cardiopulmonary resuscitation in settings that deliver community hospitals care. These lists are categorised according to the clinical setting.

The equipment and drug lists on this page are in reference to the Community Hospitals Care Quality Standards.

The core standards for the provision of cardiopulmonary resuscitation across all healthcare settings are described in the Introduction and Overview to Quality Standards

Drug tables for cardiac arrest are highlighted in the text with the symbol !

  1. All clinical service providers must ensure that their staff have immediate access to appropriate resuscitation equipment and drugs to facilitate rapid resuscitation of the patient in cardiorespiratory arrest. The standard defibrillator sign should be used in order to reduce delay in locating a defibrillator in an emergency.
  2. All settings must have a means of calling for help (e.g. landline telephone [internal or external], mobile telephone with reliable signal, or alarm bell).
  3. Standardisation of the equipment used for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (including defibrillators and emergency suctioning equipment), and the layout of equipment and drugs throughout an organisation is recommended.
  4. It is recognised that planning for every eventuality is complex, therefore, organisations must undertake a risk assessment to determine what resources are required given their local circumstances. Risk factors to consider include patient group (e.g. adults, children), incidence of cardiac arrest, training of staff, and access to expert help.
    • a) Community hospitals may need special provisions (e.g. for failed intubation, tracheostomy care, cardiac arrest in pregnancy etc.).
    • b) Some settings need a wide range of equipment immediately available (e.g. resuscitation room in emergency department). Suggested options include having basic equipment (and possibly drugs) available immediately (on a resuscitation trolley), and further equipment and drugs arriving with a resuscitation team (in a ‘grab-bag’), or in some settings as part of an ambulance response.
    • c) Staff should be trained to use the available equipment according to their expected roles.
  5. Depending on the organisation, this risk assessment must be overseen by a Resuscitation Service Structure or a designated resuscitation lead. Expert advice should also be sought locally from those regularly involved in resuscitation (e.g. resuscitation officers, emergency physicians, cardiac care unit staff, intensivists, anaesthetists, prehospital care physicians).
  6. Resuscitation equipment should be single-patient-use and latex-free, whenever possible and appropriate. Where non-disposable equipment is used, a clear policy for decontamination after each use must be available and must be followed.
  7. Personal protective equipment (e.g. gloves, aprons, eye protection) and sharps boxes must be available, based on a local risk assessment and local polices.
  8. A reliable system of equipment checks and replacement must be in place to ensure that equipment and drugs are always available for use in a cardiac arrest. The frequency of checks should be determined locally.
  9. It is recommended that equipment and drugs are presented in a clear and logical manner to enable easier use during an emergency.
  10. The manufacturer’s instructions must be followed regarding use, storage, servicing and expiry of equipment and drugs.
  11. Further equipment and drugs may be needed to manage other types of emergencies that are likely to be encountered in a particular setting; this may include:
    • monitoring equipment (e.g. blood pressure, pulse oximetry, 3-lead electrocardiogram [ECG], temperature, waveform capnography);
    • 12-lead ECG recorder;
    • near-patient tests (e.g. blood glucose, blood gas analysis).
  12. A formal procurement process that includes trialling of equipment before purchase is recommended. Trialling of resuscitation equipment can take place in actual care settings or in simulated patient scenarios.
  13. The precise availability of equipment and drugs should be determined locally. The lists include a suggestion on the immediacy with which equipment and drugs should be available:
    • Immediate – available for use within the first minutes of cardiorespiratory arrest (i.e. at the start of the resuscitation).
    • Accessible – available for prompt use when the need is determined by the resuscitation team.
  14. These lists are not exhaustive. Local experts should be consulted to ensure the appropriate equipment and drugs are available when they are needed, to enable provision of high-quality attempted resuscitation.

The equipment and drug lists in this chapter are for adult community hospitals care. 

Drug tables for cardiac arrest are highlighted in the text with the symbol !

Community hospitals care: adult

Airway and breathing

Item Suggested availability Comments
Pocket mask with oxygen port, and oxygen tubing  Immediate  
Oxygen mask with reservoir Immediate  
Self-inflating bag with reservoir Immediate  
Clear face masks, sizes 3, 4, 5  Immediate For use with self-inflating bag 
Oropharyngeal airways, sizes 2, 3, 4  Immediate  
Nasopharyngeal airways, sizes 6, 7 (and lubrication) Immediate Will depend on local policy and staff training 
Portable suction (battery or manual) with Yankauer sucker and soft suction catheters Immediate Airway suction equipment. NPSA Signal. Reference number 1309. February 2011 
Supraglottic airway device with syringes, lubrication and ties/tapes/scissors as appropriate  Immediate/Accessible  Choice of device (e.g. laryngeal mask airway, i-gel®, laryngeal tube) and size will depend on local policy and staff training
Oxygen cylinder (with key where necessary) Immediate  
Magill forceps  Immediate Will depend on local policy and staff training 
Stethoscope Immediate  

Community hospitals care: adult

Circulation

Item Suggested availability Comment
Automated external defibrillator (AED) Immediate Type of defibrillator and locations determined by a local risk assessment (e.g. manual defibrillators for settings where general anaesthesia undertaken).
Available to enable shock within 3 minutes of collapse
Adhesive defibrillator pads x 2 packs  Immediate  
Razor Immediate  
ECG electrodes  Immediate If monitoring devices are available 
Tuff Cut Scissors Immediate  
Intravenous cannulae (selection of sizes) and 2% chlorhexidine/alcohol wipes, tourniquets and cannula dressings  Immediate/Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training 
Adhesive tape  Immediate/Accessible  
Intravenous infusion set  Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training 
0.9% sodium chloride (1000 ml)  Accessible Amount depends on access to further fluids 
Selection of needles and syringes  Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training 
Intraosseous access device  Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training 
Dressing Pads x 2  Immediate  

Community hospitals care: adult

Other Items

Item Suggested availability Comments
Clock/timer Accessible  
Gloves, aprons, eye protection  Immediate Further personal protective equipment may be required according to local policy 
Sharps container and clinical waste bag  Accessible Sharps container must be immediately available wherever sharps used 
2% chlorhexidine / alcohol wipes  Accessible  
Blood sample tubes  Accessible Usually in clinical room, must not delay transfer
Blood glucose analyser with appropriate strips  Accessible According to local policy
Manual handling equipment  Accessible According to setting. See Guidance for safer handling during resuscitation in healthcare settings
Cardiorespiratory arrest record forms for patient notes, Audit forms and DNACPR forms Accessible  
Access to algorithms, emergency drug doses  Accessible  

Community hospitals care: adult

CARDIAC ARREST DRUGS – FIRST LINE for intravenous use !

Item Suggested availability Comments
Adrenaline 1mg (= 10 ml 1:10,000) IV as a prefilled syringe x 3  Immediate Number of syringes depends on access to further syringes.
1 syringe needed for each 4-5 min of CPR.
Will depend on local policy and staff training 
Amiodarone 300mg as a prefilled syringe x1  Accessible First dose required after 3 defibrillation attempts.
Will depend on local policy and staff training

Community hospitals care: adult

Other drugs

Item Suggested availability Comments
Adrenaline 1mg (1 ml 1:1000) IM Immediate First line for anaphylaxis – 0.5 mg intramuscular injection in adults
Chlorphenamine 10 mg IV / IM x 2 Accessible Second line for anaphylaxis, can also be given intramuscularly.
Will depend on local policy and staff training
Hydrocortisone 100 mg IM / IV x 2 Accessible Second line for anaphylaxis, can also be given intramuscularly.
Will depend on local policy and staff training
Aspirin 300 mg and other antithrombotic agents Accessible For acute coronary syndrome.
Will depend on local policy and staff training
Furosemide 50 mg IV x 2 Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training
Flumazenil 0.5 mg IV x 2 Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training
Nalaxone 400 micrograms x 5 IM /IV Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training
Midazolam 10 mg (1ml) Buccal Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training
Glucagon 1 mg IM / IV x 1 Accessible  
GTN spray Accessible  
Ipratropium bromide 500 microgram nebules x 2 (and nebulizer device) Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training
Salbutamol 5 mg nebules x 2 (and nebulizer device) Accessible  

Notes

  1. A 999 ambulance must be called for any cardiorespiratory arrest unless there is a local resuscitation team available.
  2. Keeping resuscitation drugs locked away - this problem was addressed in detail in 2005 by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain in a revision of the Duthie Report (1988) ‘The Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines’. Resuscitation Council UK responded with a statement, along with an accompanying letter written to the CQC explaining the position.

Supporting information

  1. Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) Safety Guideline – Interhospital Transfer. 2009. www.aagbi.org
  2. Intensive Care Society. Transfer Of The Critically Ill Adult 2019 https://www.ics.ac.uk/ICS/ICS/GuidelinesAndStandards/ICSGuidelines.aspx 
  3. The Hospital Management of Hypoglycaemia in Adults with Diabetes Mellitus https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/About%20Us/Our%20views/Care%20recs/JBDS%20hypoglycaemia%20position%20(2013).pdf

The equipment and drug lists in this chapter are for paediatric community hospitals care. 

Drug tables for cardiac arrest are highlighted in the text with the symbol !

Community hospitals care: paediatric

Airway and breathing

Item Suggested availability Comments
Pocket mask with oxygen port & oxygen tubing Immediate Will depend on local policy and staff training 
Oxygen mask with reservoir & oxygen tubing Immediate Will depend on local policy and staff training 
Self-inflating bag with reservoir & oxygen tubing Immediate Will depend on local policy and staff training 
Oropharyngeal airways size 0, 1 and tongue depressor  Immediate Will depend on local policy and staff training 
Portable suction (battery or manual) with Yankauer sucker and soft suction catheters Immediate Soft suction catheters will be dependent on the suction device available
Oxygen cylinder (with key if necessary)  Immediate  

Community hospitals care: paediatric

Circulation

Item Suggested availability Comments
Defibrillator - Manual defibrillator and/or automated external defibrillator (AED) Immediate Type of defibrillator and locations decided by a local risk assessment. AEDs are not suitable for infants (less than 12 months old) and this should be considered at risk assessment
Adhesive defibrillator pads – paediatric and adult sizes  Immediate Spare set of pads also recommended 
Intravenous cannulae (selection of sizes) and 2% chlorhexidine / alcohol wipes, tourniquets and dressings Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training 
Adhesive tape  Accessible  
Intravenous infusion sets (with and without incorporated burette)  Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training 
IV extension set with 3-way taps and bungs  Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training 
0.9% sodium chloride  Accessible Will depend on local policy and staff training 
10% Dextrose  Accessible  
Selection of needles and syringes  Accessible  
Intraosseous access device with needles suitable for children and adults  Accessible  

Community hospitals care: paediatric

CARDIAC ARREST DRUGS – FIRST LINE for intravenous use !

Item Suggested availability Comments
Adrenaline 1mg (= 10 ml 1:10,000) prefilled syringe(s)* Immediate According to local policy
Amiodarone 300 mg as a prefilled syringe x1*    
*These lists refer to drug availability and not to the doses used for the treatment of children. For correct dosing, please refer to this chart.

Community hospitals care: paediatric

Other items

Item Suggested availability Comments
Clock / timer Accessible  
Gloves, aprons, eye protection  Immediate  
Manual handling equipment  Accessible According to setting. See Guidance for safer handling during resuscitation in healthcare settings
Cardiac arrest record form for patient notes and audit forms  Accessible  

Community hospitals care: paediatric

Other emergency drugs

Item Suggested availability Comments
Adrenaline 1mg (1 ml 1:1000) IM* Immediate First line for anaphylaxis for intramuscular use 
Glucagon 1 mg IM x 1* Accessible  
Salbutamol 5mg nebules x 2 (and nebulizer device)* Accessible  
Chlorphenamine 10 mg IM x 2*   Second line for anaphylaxis, can also be given intramuscularly
Will depend on local policy and staff training
Hydrocortisone 100 mg IM / IV x 2*   Second line for anaphylaxis, can also be given intramuscularly.
Will depend on local policy and staff training
*These lists refer to drug availability and not to the doses used for the treatment of children. For correct dosing, please refer to this chart.

Notes

  1. A 999 ambulance must be called for any cardiorespiratory arrest unless there is a local resuscitation team available.
  2. Keeping resuscitation drugs locked away - this problem was addressed in detail in 2005 by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain in a revision of the Duthie Report (1988) ‘The Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines’. Resuscitation Council UK responded with a statement, along with an accompanying letter written to the CQC explaining the position.

Supporting information

  1. The Hospital Management of Hypoglycaemia in Adults with Diabetes Mellitus https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/About%20Us/Our%20views/Care%20recs/JBDS%20hypoglycaemia%20position%20(2013).pdf