Which items are considered critical care equipment?

Critical care equipment encompasses devices essential for monitoring, sustaining, or supporting life in patients in critical or emergency situations. Defibrillators and ventilators are crucial components of this category.

Defibrillators are used to restore a normal heartbeat during life-threatening arrhythmias, while ventilators provide mechanical ventilation to patients who cannot breathe adequately on their own, ensuring oxygenation and carbon dioxide removal. These devices are designed for use in high-stakes environments like emergency rooms, intensive care units, and during resuscitation efforts, where rapid and effective intervention is vital for patient survival.

In contrast, surgical instruments, diagnostic imaging machines, and ordinary infusion sets serve essential functions in medical care but do not fall under the critical care equipment designation. Surgical instruments are primarily for procedures, diagnostic machines assist in identifying health issues, and infusion sets are used for administering fluids and medications but do not support life directly in an emergency context. Thus, C correctly identifies defibrillators and ventilators as core components of critical care.