| Anyone who has ever been to a hospital to visit a | | | | are made with rubber bumpers to protect walls from |
| patient or any other medical facility has probably laid | | | | damage and come equipped with a "no loss" knob. |
| eyeson an intravenous (I.V.) pole. These are | | | | These poles do not weigh very much are very easy |
| undoubtedly the most recognized pieces of medical | | | | to use. |
| equipment and everyone knows what they are when | | | | They are designed to roll smoothly across floors so |
| they see one. | | | | that patients walking with them are assured easy |
| What are some of the purposes they have? Hospital | | | | navigation. |
| patients have long been given I.V. fluids and antibiotics | | | | From two hook poles to four hook poles they are |
| from bottles or other containers suspended from | | | | designed to hold whatever bag is needed. Four legged |
| hospital I.V. poles mounted to the patients bed, | | | | poles are standard but sometimes there is more |
| operating table, gurney, or from free standing I.V. poles. | | | | weight on a pole depending on how many hooks and |
| In addition to the I.V. fluids, the poles are used to | | | | bags are needed at the time. For instance, a cardiac |
| support various medical devices such as blood | | | | intensive care patient might need separate I.V.'s for |
| warmers, arterial pressure monitors, and infusion | | | | blood, dopamine drip, hyperalimentation fluid, antibiotics |
| pumps which are adapted to hang from or clamp onto | | | | and an insulin drip. For these type settings, they are |
| the I.V. poles. | | | | also available with five legs to provide additional |
| These poles are usually made of stainless steel | | | | support for the weight of the bags and medical |
| construction, have adjustable height triggers and are | | | | devices. |
| mobile with swivel casters. In addition, some I.V. poles | | | | |