Those who oversee scheduling in hospitals know there is no more premium space than operating rooms. Simultaneously, ORs represent the most challenging spaces, with different demands depending on the specialized procedures taking place in them.
CV Medical believes NuCART provides an ideal solution to at least part of this challenge. Distributed by GE Healthcare, NuCART is a mobile visualization boom system that replaces permanently mounted monitors and cumbersome video towers with a highly adaptable piece of equipment that can be reworked to suit the needs and preferences of individual physicians.
(Image credit: CV Medical)
To get a sense of what it’s like to work with the NuCART, Surgical Products interviewed Von Rae Guiler, RN, CNOR. As the perioperative clinical coordinator at Southeastern Med in Cambridge, Ohio, Guiler was one of the first healthcare professionals to use the equipment in the field.
Your facility was the first to incorporate the NuCart into your work. Can you tell us about your experience with it?
We were in process of evaluating the GE OEC vascular package C arm and ultrasound for purchase. Incidentally, the sales representative also recommended the NuCART be brought in so we could stage a hybrid vascular suite, since we do not have built in booms in the ORs. I explained to her that we were not in the market at the time to purchase a NuCART in addition to the other items, but we could trial it for future consideration. Upon evaluating the NuCART, it was a must have. The NuCART allowed for the surgeon to have an image as close to his face as he desired, as compared to the regular x-ray monitor that could only come so close to the sterile field. With two extra monitors in the operating room, not only could the surgeon have a close direct view, the second monitor on the cart could be used for either the techs assisting or for anesthesia. The main x-ray monitor could be pushed back away from the sterile field and the screen turned for the radiology technologist to view. Also, because the NuCART had a very steady, stable base, the arms were able to be extended out very far up to the field while parking the cart also out of the way.
A real plus to the NuCART is the small computer tablet which allows the staff to select what images they want to see and on which screens. We could select two images per screen.The ultrasound image, patient vital signs, still images, PACS and a live run are just some of the options to select from. Something the staff also likes is the built-in speakers for use with an audio player. The NuCART is easily movable, well balanced, good quality, and has an easy surface to clean. The arms fold in for compact storage.
Depending on what service line you are using the cart for, the cart can have a cylinder tank holder added if used for laparoscopic cases, as the monitors are a good size and high definition There are other options like a basket to hold foot pedals, suction canister brackets, an endoscope hanger, etc. that can be added.
The NuCART can be used for any surgery that requires a slave monitor input, including microsurgery. It has many electric plug-ins for use on the column. This is great to decrease chances of tripping hazards with all the items brought into a room that need plugged in for endovascular surgery. For the goals that we wished to accomplish, the NuCART was ideal. We can move it to any operating room. We saved major amounts of money by not installing the built-in booms in every OR. Because we had some older operating rooms with shorter doorway clearance, the company customized the NuCART a bit shorter so we could clear all doorways.
(Image credit: CV Medical)
What features or components of the NuCART have made the biggest difference for you?
With the NuCART allowing the surgeon to compare images and display the images close to the field, the surgery time is expedited, the images are very high quality, thus increasing patient safety by decreasing anesthesia time and radiation exposure to the patient and the staff. Of course, this increases surgeon and staff satisfaction. We no longer have to ascertain that there is a slave monitor available in case it is requested. By not using a slave monitor, we do not have to make sure the video input gets selected correctly for the surgery and placed back in the correct mode for laparoscopic and microsurgery cases.
What sort of learning curve did the medical staff have with the NuCART?
The medical staff had no learning curves. As far as learning for the rest of the staff, GE had someone on site for a week and also they come in at any time when they are called to educate new staff. We have been very pleased.
What advice do you have for other healthcare facilities that decide to use the NuCART?
Practice placing the NuCART in the OR prior to a scheduled surgery to make sure you have it in a location that works best for swinging the arms to the field and practice the movement of the arms to fold them back in for storage.
Anything else you’d like to add?
In the beginning we had a wifi connection problem to the computer tablet. We called Biomed, who spoke with the technical support. They turned off the tablet and back on. It reset itself like most computers during a reboot. Our biomedical technician, Biff Hayes, stated that technical support was excellent: “It doesn’t matter what time you call, they will get somebody immediately.”
As an OR Nurse of 28 years, I would highly recommend it.
