An overview of adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation equipment

Nurses have many roles and responsibilities in relation to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), including: recognising that a patient is deteriorating; recognising cardiac arrest and commencing CPR while waiting for the resuscitation team to arrive; ensuring the contents of the resuscitation trolley are present, in date and in full working order; and completing documentation for the National Cardiac Arrest Audit in participating healthcare organisations. Many patient safety incidents involving resuscitation trolley equipment and resuscitation have been reported, and predominantly relate to a lack of equipment, missing equipment and inadequately stocked trolleys. This article provides an overview of the contents of the standard resuscitation trolley and a rationale for the use of each item. It discusses the importance of checking and restocking the resuscitation trolley, as well as the documentation of CPR efforts