List of equipment in pre hospital care
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Here is a thorough, organized list of pre-hospital care equipment based on Rosen's Emergency Medicine, Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine, and the joint ACEP/ACS/NAEMSP Policy Statement on Equipment for Ambulances.
Pre-Hospital Care Equipment
Equipment is typically divided into Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) levels. ALS units carry everything on the BLS list plus additional items.
1. Airway and Ventilation Equipment
BLS (Required)
| Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|
| Portable suction apparatus | With wide-bore tubing, rigid pharyngeal (Yankauer) tip, and flexible suction catheters (6F-16F) |
| Fixed suction apparatus | Mounted in the vehicle |
| Portable oxygen apparatus | With metered variable flow regulator |
| Fixed oxygen supply system | Built into the vehicle |
| Oxygen delivery equipment | Non-rebreathing masks and valveless masks (adult/child); nasal cannulas (adult/child); adequate-length tubing |
| Bag-valve mask (BVM) | Adult (>1000 mL) and child (450-750 mL); with oxygen reservoir; adult, child, infant, and neonate mask sizes |
| Oropharyngeal airways (OPA) | Sizes 0-5 (infant to adult) |
| Nasopharyngeal airways (NPA) | Sizes 16F-34F (adult and child) |
| Pulse oximeter | With adult and pediatric probes |
| Bulb suction and saline drops | For infants |
ALS (Additional)
| Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|
| Endotracheal tubes (ETT) | Uncuffed: sizes 2.5-5.5 (2 each); Cuffed: sizes 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 (2 each) |
| Laryngoscope with blades | Miller blades sizes 0, 1, 2, 3/4; Curved blades sizes 2, 3/4 |
| Stylets for ETT | Adult and pediatric sizes |
| Supraglottic airway device | e.g., LMA, King LT, i-gel |
| Colorimetric CO2 detector / capnography | End-tidal CO2 monitoring |
| Meconium aspirator | Neonatal use |
| Magill forceps | Adult and child |
| Needle cricothyrotomy kit | Surgical airway backup |
2. Monitoring and Defibrillation
| Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|
| Automated External Defibrillator (AED) | All BLS ambulances; must have pediatric capability (child-sized pads) |
| Cardiac monitor/defibrillator | ALS units; replaces AED |
| 12-lead ECG capability | Many ALS systems; for acute MI triage to PCI center |
| Blood pressure cuffs | Adult and pediatric sizes |
| Stethoscope | Adult and pediatric |
| Thermometer | With low-temperature capability |
| Blood glucose meter | For diabetic emergencies |
| Pulse oximeter | Already listed under airway |
3. Hemorrhage Control and Wound Care
| Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|
| Tourniquets | Arterial; evidence-based use now widely accepted |
| Hemostatic dressings | e.g., QuikClot, Combat Gauze |
| Pressure bandages / trauma dressings | Various sizes |
| Sterile gauze pads and bandage rolls | Multiple sizes |
| Occlusive chest seals | For open pneumothorax (vented and non-vented) |
| Needle decompression kit | 14-gauge needle or commercial device for tension pneumothorax |
| Wound closure strips / surgical tape | - |
| Scissors | For cutting clothing, belts, and boots |
4. Immobilization and Spinal Motion Restriction
| Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|
| Rigid cervical collars | Adult and pediatric sizes (various) |
| Long spine board / backboard | With straps |
| Short spine board / vest-type device | e.g., KED (Kendrick Extrication Device) |
| Extremity splints | Small, medium, large - for adults and children |
| Traction splint | e.g., Hare or Sager splint for femur fractures |
| Scoop stretcher | For patient movement |
| Vacuum mattress / splint | Optional; for complex trauma |
Note: Per current evidence cited in Tintinalli's, indiscriminate long-spine board use is being re-evaluated; selective spinal immobilization is now recommended.
5. Intravenous / Medication Delivery (ALS)
| Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|
| IV catheters | Various gauges (14G-24G) |
| IV fluid bags | Normal saline, lactated Ringer's |
| IV tubing and extension sets | Macro and micro drip |
| Intraosseous (IO) device | e.g., EZ-IO drill; for vascular access when IV fails |
| Syringes and needles | Multiple sizes |
| Tape and dressings for IV | - |
| Intranasal mucosal atomizer device (MAD) | For intranasal drug delivery (naloxone, midazolam, fentanyl) |
6. Medications
Required BLS Medications
- Oral glucose (for hypoglycemia)
- Aspirin (for suspected acute MI)
- Epinephrine auto-injector (for anaphylaxis)
- Activated charcoal (where authorized)
Required ALS Medications
- Epinephrine (1:1,000 and 1:10,000)
- Atropine sulfate
- Lidocaine
- Adenosine
- Amiodarone
- Dextrose 50% (D50W)
- Naloxone (Narcan) - increasingly given intranasally
- Nitroglycerin (sublingual tablets or spray)
- Analgesics - narcotic (morphine, fentanyl) and non-narcotic
- Antiepileptics - diazepam or midazolam (also given intranasally)
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Magnesium sulfate
- Glucagon
- Calcium chloride
- Bronchodilators - albuterol, ipratropium
- Diphenhydramine
- Bacteriostatic water and sodium chloride for injection
Optional ALS Medications (per medical director)
- Anxiolytic agents
- Neuromuscular blocking agents (for rapid sequence intubation)
7. Obstetric (OB) Emergency Kit
| Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|
| Sterile gloves and drapes | - |
| Cord clamps and scissors | Two clamps, one pair of scissors |
| Bulb syringe | Neonatal airway suction |
| Thermal/receiving blanket and head cover | Neonatal heat retention |
| Sterile gauze | - |
| OB pads | For mother |
8. Patient Assessment Equipment
| Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|
| Stethoscope | Pediatric and adult |
| Blood pressure cuffs | Pediatric and adult |
| Flashlights | x2 patient care flashlights |
| Length-based resuscitation tape | e.g., Broselow tape for pediatric weight/drug dose estimation |
| Triage tags | For mass casualty incidents (MCIs) |
| Glucometer | - |
| Thermometer | - |
9. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
| Equipment |
|---|
| Disposable synthetic gloves (all attendants) |
| Full peripheral eye protection / goggles / face shields |
| Surgical masks and respiratory protection |
| Fluid-resistant overalls or gowns |
| Disposable biohazard bags (non-sharp waste) |
| Sharps containers (fixed and portable) |
| Disinfectant solution for contaminated equipment |
| Antimicrobial hand sanitizer (towelette, spray, or liquid) |
| ANSI II reflective vests for all responders |
10. Patient Movement and Transport Equipment
| Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|
| Main stretcher / gurney | Hydraulic or manual |
| Stair chair | For narrow spaces / stairwells |
| Scoop stretcher | Non-rolling, for scene use |
| Carrying straps and harnesses | - |
| Pediatric immobilization device | Car seat-compatible or papoose board |
11. Miscellaneous Equipment
| Equipment |
|---|
| Cold packs and hot packs |
| Emesis bags / basin |
| Urinal and bedpan |
| Ocular irrigation device (e.g., Morgan lens) |
| DOT Emergency Response Guide (ERG) |
| Triage tags |
12. Extrication Equipment
These are typically found on heavy rescue vehicles but should be accessible to EMS:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Disassembly tools | Adjustable wrenches, screwdrivers (flat/Phillips), pliers, bolt cutters, tin snips |
| Spreading tools | Hydraulic spreaders ("jaws of life") |
| Cutting tools | Hydraulic cutters, reciprocating saw |
| Pulling tools | Come-along, chains |
| Protective equipment | Helmets, gloves, eye protection |
| Patient-related | Short board, cervical collar, blankets for glass protection |
13. Advanced Technology (Modern ALS / Mobile Intensive Care Units)
As noted in Rosen's Emergency Medicine, many ALS systems now carry:
- Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) - focused cardiac, lung, FAST exam
- 12-lead ECG with telemedicine transmission - direct to cardiologist
- CT scanner-equipped ambulances - Mobile Stroke Units for rapid thrombolysis decisions
- Video laryngoscopy (e.g., GlideScope, McGrath) - for difficult airways
- Mechanical CPR devices (e.g., LUCAS, AutoPulse)
Sources:
- Rosen's Emergency Medicine, 9e - Equipment section, Ch. 36
- Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine, 9e - Prehospital Care chapter
- ACEP/ACS/NAEMSP Joint Policy Statement: Equipment for Ambulances (2018), Prehospital Emergency Care
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