Question

Because of concerns about a loss of power, essential equipment in the OR should be plugged into

A) White sockets
B) Red sockets
C) Either socket, because it doesn't matter
D) Neither, it should be run off battery power
E) Surge protectors

Answer 1

Essential equipment in an operating room should be plugged into red outlets to ensure continuous operation during a power outage, as these outlets are connected to emergency power systems.

Step-by-step explanation:

In any operating room (OR), it is crucial to ensure that essential equipment remain operational even in the case of a power outage. Such equipment should be plugged into red outlets. These red sockets are typically connected to a hospital's emergency power system, meaning in the event of a power loss, the essential items plugged into these sockets will continue to receive power from a secondary source such as a generator or a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). Conversely, white sockets are generally connected to the standard power grid and do not have this level of redundancy for power loss. Using surge protectors is also a good practice as it helps protect sensitive medical equipment from power surges that could damage them. However, surge protectors alone do not provide assurance for power continuity that red sockets offer. Thus, it is clear that for maintaining continuous operation of essential OR equipment during power issues, one should choose red sockets over other options.