Pump Problem or User Error?

One vexing issue that hospitals have to deal with is that pumps frequently need service. Biomedical staff are well aware that, as widespread as pumps are, so are their problems. But many companies that buy and sell medical equipment on DOTmed.com report that most problems actually stem from user error. "Very often the hospital personnel is not trained properly on the unit in use; it will throw into an alarm code, and staff will say it's defective. We get it back into the shop and it's working perfectly," Caples said of an all-too-common experience.





In turns out that some pumps even include an error code beginning with "N," an unfortunate built-in blame of the nursing staff. "One of my hospital customers has got brand new pumps so if they ever break, they just call the manufacturer. But first I determine whether it's user error or an actual failure of the pump," said Rick Pate, owner of ArkLaMed Equipment Services, El Dorado, Ark. "I act as a go-between, to see if the error is an E [electronic] or N code [user error]."

Typical user errors include pinching the lines, which occlude them and cause the battery to run down, or incorrectly loaded or programmed pumps. These are readily re-set. However, when pumps do need repair, often the problem stems from a bad circuit board, plastic casing wear and tear, or worn pumping mechanism or sensors. Fuses, keypads, overlays and batteries need frequent replacement.




One of the few companies that offers component-level board repair on the electronic circuitry in the pump is Select POS and Peripherals LLC, Edina, Minn. "We are able to offer our clients a savings of 40 to 60 percent off the cost of a new board, said Troy Goodhart, sales and marketing. "This enables hospitals to extend their equipment lifecycle and lower their total cost of ownership so they can get the most return possible for their initial investment."

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