In an emergency department a set is usually opened under time pressure, often by hands unfamiliar with it, so a short item list and instruments that are easy to tell apart matter. This page holds the Dressing Set and the Cut-Down Set.

Emergency sets are sterilised frequently through the day. The instruments are finished for repeated autoclave cycles, made of stainless steel and covered for five years against corrosion.

A different composition can be prepared per department; click the set images for contents.

Surgical Set Contents

Dressing Set
Dressing Set
Cut-Down Set
Cut-Down Set

The most common problem with emergency sets is not a broken instrument but a missing item. Counting is not possible during the intervention, so the gap is noticed at the next opening and the set is unusable at that moment. A fixed layout and an item list on the lid let the gap be caught while closing.

The second issue is sterilisation load. Emergency sets turn over far more often than expected, which raises the yearly cycle count on the instruments. Holding more than one of the same set shortens waiting and keeps a single set from being overloaded. Leaving the composition open makes it possible to replace worn items one by one.