Vital signs monitors or Patient monitors are some of the most common pieces of equipment found in the medical field. They are also one of the most user-friendly devices. Although there are many different manufacturers and in different combinations of modules and/or features, most of them are built with a similar user experience.
Below are some troubleshooting tips that any clinical user can follow in case your patient monitor gives you trouble.
1) Cuff not inflating enough and displaying an error.
It is very common for this issue to happen, and while it could mean many things, you should always start with the easiest and more likely to be the fault. All monitors have a button or menu that allows you to select pediatric, child or young adult and adult. This setting allows the device to change the min/max systolic and diastolic pressure that the device can pump out. If the Monitor is set up in pediatric and the patient is an adult, this will likely cause an error. Always look for a person’s stick figure imprinted or a baby figure. Sometimes it’s an LED light in the Monitor, sometimes it is on the screen, but selecting the correct mode will prevent it from displaying an error. Also remember, many clinical staff use the same Monitor that you do, and they could have changed the setting and not reversed them back.
2) Cuff not Inflating at all and displaying an error.
When this happens, do not think right away that it is an issue with the Monitor. Many times this means there is a leak on the cuff or in the tubing. Pay close attention to your Monitor when you hit the start BP button. If the pressure doesn’t go past 1mmHg, it is likely a big leak, meaning the tubing has disconnected from the device. If your tubing is properly set into the Monitor, check the next available connector down towards the cuff. If there is no issue with the tubing, the last to check is the cuff for a leak, in which case replace it with a new cuff. It is important to notice what the Monitor is doing during inflation as this will indicate how big the leak is. For example, if the Monitor keeps inflating but it won’t go past 60 to 80 mmHg, then it is a low leak in the system. Always inspect the tubing and cuff before deducing the Monitor is at fault.
3) My Monitor turns on by itself with no clinical interaction.
I assure you this is not a ghost playing jokes on you. All Patient monitors have a timer or delay programmable feature, which allows you to set an interval for when the next NIBP reading will take place. It can be programmed to be: off, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes or 20 minutes interval. This feature is designed in cases where a patient needs a constant reading without the interaction from the clinical user.
4) My Monitor won’t turn on.
aEverybody hates when things don’t work when you really need them too. All patient monitors have a battery in case AC power is not available. In many cases, the battery is a fundamental component of the Monitor. If the battery is not working properly, the Monitor will start behaving erratically. Patient monitors must be plugged into the wall socket whenever possible. This assures that the battery remains healthy, and so does your Monitor. It is easy to see if your Monitor is using battery power or AC power. Look for a battery LED or a wall socket LED on the main display; this will display what source of power is currently being fed to the Monitor. Another thing to look out for is to make sure the device is indeed charging. There will also be an indicator for when the Monitor is charging, or there will be a cable LED with a Lightning bolt icon on top of it.
Written By: Oscar Cervantes
Edited By: Tyler Hasenpflug CET
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