A clinic oxygen crash cart stays usable when it is split into five fixed zones — airway, circulation, medication, consumables and documentation — and checked on a set cadence with first-expired-first-out rotation. Here is what to stock, how to verify the cylinder and regulator, and how to reseal the cart after use.
What zones should an oxygen crash cart have?
Sort by task, not by product family, so someone opening the cart under time pressure can find an item without reading labels:
- Airway — oxygen masks, nasal cannulas, bag-valve masks, oral airways, suction tubing and suction catheters.
- Circulation — nitrile gloves, gauze, medical tape, tourniquets and a blood pressure cuff.
- Medication — only items your prescriber group has authorised, sealed and labelled with lot and expiry.
- Consumables — spare oxygen tubing, connectors, masks and a sharps container sized to the cart.
- Documentation — the check log, the expiry sheet and a laminated stock map taped inside the lid.
Write the zone map down and tape it inside the lid, so a locum can restock without asking where anything lives.
What consumables should be on the stock list?
Build the list from what your team reaches for, then set a minimum per line and a par level covering about two weeks of use:
- Nasal cannulas — 4 to 6, in the sizes your patient mix needs.
- Oxygen masks — 4 simple masks and 2 non-rebreather masks.
- Bag-valve masks — 2, with a paediatric size where relevant.
- Suction tubing and catheters — 2 sets.
- Nitrile exam gloves — 1 box, in the cart's own size range.
- Procedure masks — 1 box, three-ply.
- Gauze sponges — 1 sealed sleeve.
- Sharps container — 1, sized to fit the bottom shelf.
Two lines move fastest and drive most restock orders: nitrile exam gloves in 100-count boxes and three-ply procedure masks in 50-count packs. Keep one spare box of each in the same zone.
How do you check the oxygen cylinder and regulator?
Work through four points every time. Confirm the cylinder is seated in its bracket and the pin-index yoke is fully engaged. Read the gauge against your clinic's minimum; many teams treat a cylinder below half full as ready for exchange. Inspect the regulator, flowmeter and tubing for cracks, and confirm flow sets smoothly from low to high. Then check that a spare cylinder and regulator are stored with the cart.
Log the pressure reading, the cylinder identifier and the date. If the gauge has moved without a recorded use, treat that cylinder as leaking and set it aside for service.
How often should the cart be checked?
Two cadences keep the cart honest. A seal check each shift, where staff confirm the tamper seal is intact and initial the log. A fuller restock and expiry sweep once a week, where the seal is broken and every item is counted against its par level. Anything used between sweeps is replaced straight away and the seal renewed.
The sweep is also the moment for first-expired-first-out rotation: pull the earliest expiry forward in each zone and place longer-dated stock behind it.
Which items should not be stockpiled?
Depth is not readiness. Stock that sits for a year is stock you will write off, and an over-deep cart hides expired items behind fresh ones. Hold gloves, masks and gauze near two weeks of use, keep single sealed units for low-turnover lines, and review par levels quarterly against real consumption.
| Zone | Key items | Minimum stock | Check frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airway | Masks, cannulas, bag-valve masks, suction | 4 cannulas, 4 masks, 2 bag-valve masks | Seal check each shift; count at the weekly sweep |
| Circulation | Gloves, gauze, tape, tourniquet | 1 box gloves, 1 sleeve gauze | Seal check each shift; count weekly |
| Medication | Authorised, sealed, labelled items | Per prescriber list | Expiry check at the sweep |
| Consumables | Tubing, connectors, sharps container | 2 tubing sets, 1 container | Seal check each shift; count weekly |
| Documentation | Check log, expiry sheet, stock map | All three current | Signed at each shift check |
Ordering for a clinic, lab or care home? Wholesale and multi-site ordering covers case pricing and account setup, and the B2B wholesale collection lists the lines stocked for institutional buyers.
Related reading
- Emergency response supplies for clinics: crash cart basics
- Nasal cannulas and oxygen masks: sizing and bulk procurement
- First aid and emergency response kits for Canadian workplaces
- free sterilization log tool
Cart restock lines sit in the clinic consumables hub and the clinic supplies collection.
Buying for a facility rather than a single practice? Request a B2B quote and we will price your volume with Canadian warehouse delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much oxygen should a clinic crash cart carry?
Carry one in-use cylinder plus one full spare, and set a minimum pressure that triggers exchange. For a single-room clinic that means two cylinders at or above half full, verified at each shift seal check and logged by identifier.
Where should a crash cart be stored?
Store it where staff can reach it without unlocking a second room, in a position that lets the lid open fully. Keep the stock map inside the lid and the check log attached to the cart.
Do clinic crash carts need to be sealed?
A numbered tamper seal shows the cart has not been opened since the last count, and it lets you match a broken seal to a logged use between sweeps.
How do you stop consumables expiring on the cart?
Set par levels near two weeks of use, rotate first-expired-first-out at every sweep, and keep a single sealed unit for low-turnover lines. Anything past its date comes off the cart.
CliniEco Medical is a licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334).
0 commentaire