Instruments used in general medicine
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Instrument | Uses |
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Bandage | material used to support a medical dressing or injured body part |
Bedpan | for patients who are unconscious or too weak to sit up or walk to the toilet to defecate |
Cannula | to create a permanent pathway to a vein (or artery) for the purpose of repeated injections or infusion of intravenous fluids |
Catheter | to drain and collect urine directly from the bladder (primary use) also to act as a makeshift oxygen tube etc. |
Crocodile forceps | to remove foreign bodies from ear or nasal cavities. |
Electrocardiograph machine | to record the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time[1] |
Enema equipment | to inject fluid into the lower bowel for several purposes, most frequently for relieving constipation |
Endoscope | to look inside the gastrointestinal tract, used mainly in surgery or by surgical consultants |
External cardioverter / Defibrillator | to correct arrhythmias of the heart[2] |
Gas cylinder | as a supply of oxygen, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, etc. |
Gauze sponge | to absorb blood and other fluids as well as clean wounds |
Glucose monitor | to measure concentration of glucose in blood |
Haemodialysis machine | to remove toxic materials from the blood that are generally removed by the kidneys; used in case of kidney failure[3] |
Hypodermic needle / Syringe | for injections and aspiration of blood or fluid from the body |
Infection control equipment | as in gloves, gowns, bonnets, shoe covers, face shields, goggles, and surgical masks for preventing nosocomial or healthcare-associated infection |
Instrument sterilizer | to sterilize instruments in absence of an autoclave |
Kidney dish | as a tray for instruments, gauze, tissue, etc. |
Measuring tape | for length, height, head circumference and girth measurements |
Medical halogen penlight | to see into the eye, natural orifices, etc. and to test for pupillary light reflex, etc. |
Medical ultrasound | to create an image of internal body structures |
Nasogastric tube | for nasogastric suction or the introduction of food or drugs into the body |
Nebulizer | to produce aerosols of drugs to be administered by respiratory route |
Ophthalmoscope | to look at the retina |
Otoscope | to look into the external ear cavity |
Oxygen mask and tubes | to deliver gases to the mouth/nostrils to assist in oxygen intake or to administer aerosolized or gaseous drugs |
Pipette or dropper | to measure out doses of liquid, specially in children |
Proctoscope | to look inside the anal canal and lower part of the rectum |
Radiography | to view internal body structures |
Reflex hammer | to test motor reflexes of the body |
Sphygmomanometer | to measure the patient's blood pressure |
Stethoscope | to hear sounds from movements within the body like heart beats, intestinal movement, breath sounds, etc. |
Suction device | to suck up blood or secretions |
Surgical scissors | used for dissecting or cutting |
Thermometer | to record body temperature |
Tongue depressor | for use in oral examination |
Transfusion kit | to transfuse blood and blood products |
Tuning fork | to test for deafness and to categorize it |
Ventilator | to assist or carry out the mechanical act of inspiration and expiration so the non-respiring patient can do so; a common component of "life support" |
Wartenberg wheel | for neurological use |
Watch / Stopwatch | for recording rates like heart rate, respiratory rate, etc.; for certain hearing tests. |
Weighing scale | to measure weight |
Image gallery
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Bandage
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Bedpan
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Blood infusion set
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Cannula, intraveneous (separated)
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Catheter, Foley
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Defibrillator
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Dialyser, hemodialysis
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Enema bag and enema bucket
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Enema bulb
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Enema set
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Endoscope
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Face shield
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Gas cylinder, oxygen
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Gauze sponges
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Instrument sterilizer
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Kidney dish
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Medical halogen penlight
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Nasogastric tube, Levin
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Nebulizer
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Ophthalmoscope
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Reflex hammer
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Reflex hammer, queen square
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Sphygmomanometer, electronic
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Stethoscope
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Syringe and needle
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Thermometers, mercury
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Tongue depressors
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Tuning fork
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Ventilator, high-frequency
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Weighing scale
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Wartenberg wheel
Notes
- ^ Khandpur 2020, pp. 563–571.
- ^ Khandpur 2020, pp. 497–501.
- ^ Khandpur 2020, pp. 742–749.
References
- Khandpur, RS (2020). Compendium of Biomedical Instrumentation. United Kingdom: Wiley. ISBN 9781119288121. Retrieved 19 February 2024.