How to Manage Safe Medical Refrigerator Handling Practices in Your Medical Facility
                     How to Manage Safe Medical Refrigerator 
Handling Practices in Your Medical Facility 
 
 
Medical refrigerators are a must for all medical facilities. Know the various aspects of such a 
refrigerator and the tips to choose the right one. 
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No healthcare facility can run without a refrigerator. And that speaks all about the 
indispensability of refrigerators for medical facilities. 
 
Interestingly, the concept of refrigeration was developed by a doctor. In the 1720s, William 
Cullen, a Scottish doctor, discovered that evaporation could create a mechanical refrigerator.  
 
Medical refrigerators allow medical facilities to store temperature-sensitive items, such as 
samples, vaccines, reagents, etc.  
 
 
 
Bear in mind that medical refrigerators are not the same as domestic refrigerators. Medical 
refrigerators are special types of fridges that can maintain an accurate and stable temperature. 
 
What is important is that proper handling of such a refrigerator is a must for a medical facility's 
efficient functioning, and that is also a part of the best practices. 
 
What is a Medical Refrigerator? 
 
Medical refrigerators bear more capabilities than standard domestic refrigerators. The 
capability of maintaining a more consistent temperature is a distinguishing feature of medical 
refrigerators.  
 
Consistent temperatures are necessary to store temperature-sensitive items, like vaccines and 
samples, that get damaged if the temperature fluctuates.  
 
Another distinguishing feature of medical refrigerators is an alarm system's possession to send 
out alerts if anything goes wrong. The alarm will send alerts signals if you unknowingly leave 
the refrigerator door open or the temperature undergoes fluctuations. The alert signal will 
prompt your staff to take corrective action.  
 
Medical refrigerators are robust and are less likely to get damaged. If it gets damaged, it will 
entail a high replacement cost. Also, there can be some samples in the refrigerator that might 
be irreplaceable. So, a damaged refrigerator means damages to those samples.  
 
Notably, medical refrigerators do not have shelves in the doors, like domestic refrigerators. The 
door opens and closes, exposing itself to outside temperatures, which can be detrimental to the 
items if stored on the door. 
 
 
What Items are Stored in a Medical Refrigerator? 
 
 
You can store all temperature-sensitive items in a medical refrigerator. So, you should first 
figure out such sensitive items in your medical facility that you will store in the cold storage 
unit. 
 
Your items can include blood, plasma, vaccines, some medicines, and tissue samples, which you 
can store in a medical refrigerator. 
 
What are the Different Types of Medical Refrigerators? 
 
There are multiple types of medical refrigerators, and each type serves specific purposes. The 
main types of medical refrigerators available in the market today are: 
Blood Bank Fridge 
Blood bank refrigerators, as the name indicates, stores blood as per the regulations in different 
countries. The refrigerators usually have different storage compartments to allow easy 
organization of different blood and blood products. 
 
Besides, the cold storage units have reliable and accurate temperature controls as even small 
temperature fluctuations can damage the stock. 
Explosion-Proof  
 
There might be volatile, flammable, or dangerous substances in medical facilities that might 
cause an explosion in medical facilities.  
 
Most medical refrigerators bear the explosion-proof feature that minimizes the store's prospect 
of catching fire or exploding. 
 
No sparks can cause a fire in these refrigerators, so if you want to store combustible items, 
these units are the perfect choices for you.  
Chromatography Fridge 
These medical fridges are most mostly used in research establishments. The chromatography 
technique involves separating the parts of a mixture, so the units have to be highly stable and 
precise for handling such delicate research practices. 
Lab Fridge 
 
It is the most basic type of medical refrigerator. It is also called a lab fridge, which bears digital 
displays to show the temperature. You can clean such refrigerators easily and are perfect for 
storing medical items 
 
How to Choose a Medical Refrigerator? 
 
With multiple types of medical refrigerators available in the market, you need to choose the 
right one to fulfil your medical facility's needs.   
 
So, it will help if you consider the following factors while purchasing a medical refrigerator: 
Temperature Needs 
 
The first thing to assess is the temperature range required for your medical facility, as different 
samples, vaccines, and equipment require different temperatures. If the necessary temperature 
range is smaller, choose a unit that has a stable temperature control mechanism. 
Location 
 
The location at which you will keep the refrigerator has many things to do in deciding the type 
of refrigerator. 
 
So, choose a refrigerator accordingly. While some models are of the standing type, others are 
built into the lab. The built-in types need exterior fans for temperature regulation, but the 
standing types do not require such fans due to the plenty of airflow around them. 
 
Therefore, measure the space on which you will keep your refrigerator before you choose a 
type. 
 
Temperature Monitoring 
 
The most important function of a medical refrigerator is keeping track of the inside 
temperatures accurately.  
 
The temperature inside your refrigerator needs to be accurate at all times. The refrigerator 
thermometer should show the inside temperature accurately. Ensure to calibrate the 
thermometer properly.  
 
You also need to get a data logger compatible with the refrigerator, to record the temperature 
readings.  
 
Storage Design 
 
Another important consideration while choosing a medical refrigerator is the storage design, 
which has a lot to do in properly organizing your items. For example, tiny samples' storage 
design requirement will be different from that for storing large containers. 
 
The Final Thoughts 
 
A medical refrigerator is a mandatory investment for a medical facility owner without which he 
cannot run his facility. But, he needs to do due diligence in choosing the right unit to give a 
good return on investment. Choose a brand that fulfils your needs the best.