Maintenance Tips for Common Medical Equipment

Regular maintenance of medical equipment is an essential task for individuals or organizations that own equipment and intend to continue using it to its safest capabilities and most effective potential. Between corrective and preventive maintenance as well as the type of medical equipment in question, there are many different forms that maintenance may take, but despite the type of equipment, proper maintenance will ensure that devices continue to function correctly while even extending their lifespan.

The meticulous upkeep and maintenance practices grow as the amount of equipment owned increases, but the following tips will help you keep track of the general maintenance activities you should expect to undertake regularly.

The Importance of Routine Maintenance

As mentioned above, routine maintenance can be in the form of corrective or preventive maintenance. The importance of corrective maintenance, which is the identification, isolation, and restoration of faults in equipment, is obvious in that medical equipment performing substandardly should be fixed in order to perform at its expected level of quality and safety. If corrective maintenance is delayed, the chance of a more significant breakdown increases which will add to the overall cost of maintenance, and the equipment will most likely not perform as expected, which is detrimental to patients.

On the other hand, preventative maintenance, which is the regularly scheduled evaluation, tuning, and cleaning of equipment, is just as important because it reduces emergency repairs or total replacement of equipment. Expenses can be reduced, patient health and safety can be maintained, and it provides a greater return on investment for your equipment.

While requiring routine maintenance may seem costly (both in terms of time and money), it will prevent much larger costs down the line, saving expenses and the precious time of patients and medical staff.

Out-of-Date Equipment

Some equipment might be out-of-date, such as stationary devices in use beyond the manufacturer’s recommended useful life expectancy or operational duration, or even equipment like needles, syringes, and defibrillator pads. If there is any equipment that is considered out-of-date, it means that they are unsafe and that even maintenance should not be used to attempt to prolong its life.

Common Medical Equipment Needing Maintenance

Common medical equipment that needs routine preventive maintenance include:

• Medical devices such as electrotherapy, cold therapy, SCD, and CPM machines
• Fridges used for storage of medicines (including thermometers)
• Nebuliser compressors
• Spirometers
• Pulse oximeters
• Sphygmomanometers
• Weighing scales
• Electronic ear irrigators
• Defibrillators

Create an Equipment Inventory

A great first step in ensuring that all of your medical equipment is properly maintained is to create an equipment inventory. A comprehensive inventory (whether at home or a medical facility) can include details such as what equipment is on-site, the equipment’s make, model, and date of purchase, the condition of the device, when the device last received maintenance, and where it is located. This information will provide the foundation of your maintenance program, and it can greatly help with scheduling routine maintenance.

Regular Inspection and Testing

With an equipment inventory in place, the next step should be to schedule regular equipment inspections and testing. Trained biomedical engineers and technicians should conduct the inspections, looking for any indication of wear, damage, or malfunction. This may also include any necessary calibration of equipment and verification of the equipment’s accuracy, should it need it.

Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting

A clean environment is crucial to the proper maintenance of medical devices. This means that food, fluid, and flammable substances should be kept clear of medical equipment, and that after every single use medical equipment is properly cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected in order to reduce the risk of infection and spread of disease. Ensure that cleaning maintenance is performed routinely by trained staff with correct cleaning procedures and supplies.

Recurrent Training

Good equipment maintenance includes ensuring that the staff or individuals using the equipment fully understand how to operate it safely and effectively, and what to do after they are finished using it. This may require the training of new personnel and the retraining of existing staff to keep them up-to-date with any changes to equipment or procedures.

Turn Off Devices

Turning off medical devices (if they are electronic) helps conserve energy usage at home or in a medical facility, but it also increases the lifespan of the equipment as well by preventing overheating and damage to power supplies. Some equipment, however, may become less accurate or less effective if turned off for significant periods of time, so be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions.

Manufacturer Guidelines

In relation to the above, proper maintenance of equipment must be performed in accordance with the directions provided by the manufacturer. Manufacturers normally provide guidelines on the best practices when it comes to equipment cleaning, maintenance, operation, and longevity, so be sure to include this information in the maintenance schedule and any necessary staff training.

Replacement Parts

Some medical devices require lubricants, reagents, and other consumables on a regular basis in order to perform correctly. Proper maintenance, therefore, should include a consistent inventory of required parts that may need to be replaced. Consider scheduling routine lubricant and consumable replacement maintenance, and be sure to be in contact with a reputable medical equipment supplier to be able to source what you need when you need it.

Software Updates and Security

If certain medical equipment requires software and security solutions for proper functionality and client privacy, be sure to keep them up-to-date. Regular software updates from manufacturers may include security enhancements or bug fixes, thus updating software is very much key to proper equipment maintenance.

Regulatory Compliance

It is wise to always stay current with healthcare standards, requirements, and regulations regarding the proper care and maintenance of medical equipment. By incorporating regulatory guidance into routine maintenance of your equipment inventory, individuals and organizations can ensure optimized patient safety.

Get Maintenance Help and Guidance From the Medcom Group

When sourcing new medical equipment, it’s helpful to have the extra help and guidance provided by expert suppliers. The medcom group helps you understand the equipment you receive from us. (e.g.: In-service training, webinars, tele-conferencing, etc.), repair any machine that we supply at our in-house Biomedical department, and are available to answer all questions and concerns at (877) 301-4276.

If you have any questions about maintenance for common equipment or want to benefit from the help of a professional medical equipment supplier, don’t hesitate to contact the medcom group today!