Every nurse knows durable medical equipment doesn’t last forever.
When was the last time you kicked a hospital bed in frustration because the motor ground to a halt as you were elevating a patient’s head? Or you discovered an IV pump apparently quit working in the middle of the night, depriving your patient of vital hydration?
When equipment like a portable suction machine unexpectedly stops working, it can be more than a nuisance. It endangers patient safety. If you reach for a suction wand because your patient aspirated and you discover there’s no suction, there may be a bad outcome.
3 Clues It’s Time to Replace Your Medical Suction Machine
Like any other durable medical equipment, an emergency suction device will not last forever. You should base your replacement strategy on three key considerations:
2. Durability
Portable emergency medical suction devices must withstand considerable abuse. They can get bumped around, dropped to the floor, and go through other trials. Durability should correlate with an increased functional lifespan. Even the most durable medical suction requires periodic maintenance and testing.
2. Functional Life
As with any other type of equipment purchase, high-quality machines generally have a 10-year functional life. Many factors can affect a suction machine’s life expectancy, including abuse and failure to maintain it, but the 10-year time frame is a tool to budget for future equipment needs.
3. Scheduled Replacement
For maximum safety, your hospital should implement a plan to replace its emergency medical suction devices on a timetable. Routinely retiring old machines and replacing them with new ones reduces the chance of a machine suddenly failing due to age.
Test Your Portable Suction Device Regularly.
Your unit no doubt has a protocol for checking the crash cart. In particular, the defibrillator must be run through its paces regularly to make sure it will function properly when needed. You should implement a similar protocol for maintaining your emergency suction machines.
The two key components you should routinely check on every portable medical suction device are:
- Battery health and capacity
- Mechanical function
The battery plays a critical role in the functionality of your emergency suction machine. If the battery is dead, you may not have suction unless you can plug in to an outlet. Checking battery health and capacity is essential.
Once you’ve determined the battery is good, test the aspirator’s mechanical function. Even if the batteries work, the mechanical components may be worn and produce very low suction.
The best way to test the battery health and mechanical function of your portable medical suction machine is to use an aspirator testing kit, available free from SSCOR. This all-in-one device makes it easy to quickly test your portable aspirators on a routine basis, ensuring they’re ready to perform to standard in the event of an emergency.
How Often Should You Replace Your Medical Suction Machine?
Take into account the environment your device is used in, a hospital setting or in the field, and the functional lifespan to create a plan for routinely replacing outdated equipment.
Have you ever experienced a failure of emergency equipment during your shift? Tell us about it in the comments.
Editor's Note: This blog was originally published in Nov 2020. It has been re-published with additional up to date content.
