Any infusion pump showing signs of a software fault, unreliable alarms, physical damage, battery trouble or electrical problems should come out of service and go to your biomedical team. These are the same categories FDA lists in its examples of reported infusion pump problems, and each one can show up before it causes a serious failure.
This guide is for spotting problems and routing them correctly. It doesn't replace your facility's procedures or the manufacturer's instructions for use.
Software problems
Watch for error messages with no obvious cause, a pump that won't clear an error, or settings that change unexpectedly. FDA's examples include false "inoperable" messages and key bounce, where a single keystroke registers as several and can change a programmed rate. A pump that keeps doing something odd is not a user-training issue until a technician says so.
Alarm problems
Treat these two failures as equally serious: an alarm that doesn't sound when it should, and one that sounds when nothing is wrong. FDA's examples include alarms failing to sound for blockages or air in the line, and occlusion alarms with no occlusion present. False alarms cause their own harm, because staff learn to tune them out.
Screen and usability problems
Dim or partly dead displays, unresponsive keys, and worn labels all make programming errors more likely. If staff are regularly working around something on the pump, report it. Those near-misses are useful information for your biomed team, and if the same problem shows up across a fleet, it may need a wider fix than one repair.
Broken components
Pumps get dropped, knocked and moved constantly. Look for cracked housings, damaged doors or latches, loose pole clamps, and any sign of fluid getting into the case. FDA notes that cracks from drops or from misaligned tubing can lead to incorrect dosing or water entering the case, so even a small crack is worth reporting. Tag any pump that has been dropped for inspection, even if it seems to run normally.
Battery problems
A battery that runs down faster than it used to, won't hold a charge, or feels unusually hot needs attention. FDA's examples include batteries failing early from overheating, and batteries running out because a low-battery alarm went unnoticed or maintenance was skipped. Battery checks belong on the preventive maintenance schedule, not only on the failure list.
Sparks, smells or shocks
Remove the pump from use straight away if there's a burning smell, charring, melted connectors, sparks, or a shock when it's plugged in or unplugged. Don't try it again to confirm. Follow your facility's process for a suspected electrical hazard.
What to do when you find a problem
- Move the patient to a working pump, following your facility's procedure.
- Take the suspect pump out of service and tag it with what happened, and when.
- Keep the disposable set and settings if your policy calls for that, so the event can be investigated.
- Don't reset or power-cycle a pump involved in a patient event until your team has reviewed it. Logs can matter.
- Tell your biomed team, and report the event through your facility's safety process.
Reduce repeat problems
Keep pump fleets on a defined preventive maintenance schedule, and track failures by model and serial number. Repeated faults on one model often point to something a single repair won't fix. Check the FDA recall database for your models as well, and confirm that any required correction has been completed on each unit.
When a pump is out for repair, a loaner keeps your fleet size steady. It's easier to arrange that in advance than during a shortage.
We service infusion pumps and supply re-certified units and rentals. You can request service, see available pumps, or read more about our repair work.