North American requirements for power cords used in medical products mandate the use of special, very robust plugs that are designed to withstand substantial pull-out forces between the power cable and the plug without failing. The plug is also designed to offer substantial impact resistance and to generally withstand the rigors of a tough environment.

Because many North American designers of medical equipment are familiar with these practices, they expect that foreign medical equipment standards will be similar. In fact, the only foreign countries in which there are any differences for power cords used in medical equipment are Australia, New Zealand, and Denmark.

The Australian/New Zealand medical facilities recommend but do not mandate the use of a plug that is molded of a clear PVC material (note: the standard does not indicate any requirements for medical cords). The objective is to simplify the visual inspection of the integrity of the ground contact. In addition, although not mandatory, it is common practice in Australian hospitals to use power cords and cordsets that are manufactured with orange cable. Otherwise, the cord or cordset is standard.

Denmark mandates a hospital-grade plug for patient-connected medical equipment.

In the rest of the world, there are no approved requirements for special plugs nor are there special provisions for special cable used with medical equipment.