Medical professionals must be sure that all lifesaving equipment is operational when needed, with protocols that dictate equipment inspections and checks. Some checks must be done at the beginning of each shift, and some are scheduled on a less frequent basis.
No matter when these equipment checks are done, your patients and your agency are counting on you to make sure that your equipment is functional at a critical time.
So, what tests are appropriate for portable emergency suction?
Daily test for portable emergency suction devices
- Ensure the device is fully charged: plug it in to charge for at least 8 hours before testing.
- To begin the test, unplug the device from the external power source and turn the device on.
- Connect the test gauge from your Aspirator Test Kit to the patient port of the canister making certain that all canister ports are closed and all connections are secure.
- With the regulator at full power, the test gauge should reach 300 mmHg within three seconds.
- Allow negative pressure to continue to climb. Maximum negative pressure should exceed 500 mmHg.
- Turn off the device and reconnect the device to the charging source.
- If the device fails any of the above, contact a trained biomedical engineer or the manufacturer of your portable emergency suction device
Weekly, Semi-Weekly, or Monthly tests
The timing of this test depends on your situation and protocols. It gives you an indication of battery health.
A true battery test requires a sophisticated and expensive test device and it is unlikely that you have such a device available. The following is a crude but practical test. If you need a more sophisticated test or suspect that you have a battery problem, you will want to contact a trained biomedical engineer or the manufacturer of your suction device:
- Make sure the device is fully charged – plug it in to charge for at least eight hours before testing.
- Unplug the device and turn it on. Allow it to continue to run for 15 minutes – be sure the device is not plugged into an external power source.
- After 15 minutes, connect a test gauge to the patient port of the canister making certain that all canister ports are closed and all connections are secure.
- With the regulator at full power, the test gauge should reach 300 mmHg within three seconds.
- Allow negative pressure to continue to climb. Maximum negative pressure should exceed 500 mmHg.
- Listen to the pump run. It should still be running strong and sound just as it did when you first turned it on.
- Turn the device off and recharge the device before returning it to service.
If the device fails any of the above, contact a trained biomedical engineer or the manufacturer of your portable emergency suction device.
Editor's Note: This blog was originally published in November 2021. It has been re-published with additional up to date content.
