HospitalInspections.org

Based on interviews and document reviews the facility staff failed to ensure they followed their policy titled: BIPAP / Noninvasive Ventilation with a last a revision of 10/01/12.

The findings include:

On 8/19/13 at approximately 1 P.M. Staff Member #1 was interviewed regarding patients using medical equipment from home. Staff Member #1 stated, "The policy states patients are asked to bring their own BIPAP/Noninvasive Ventilation equipment. In this case the patient's family brought in the patient's equipment but we failed to complete our safety checks by Bio-Med and get the patient or family to sign the form for the use of outside medical equipment. We did not even recognize we had a problem until now."

Patient #2 was interviewed on 8/19/13 at approximately 10:20 A.M. and stated, "While I was in ICU the hospital provided a BIPAP for me. But after I came out here to this room a lady (I think she was a nurse) asked me to have my own equipment brought from home. No over ever checked to see if it was working correctly. The people from respiratory therapy are in here 3-4 times a day to do breathing treatments. They change me or I change me from the BIPAP to nasal oxygen when I am eating."

Patient #3 was interviewed on 8/19/13 at approximately 10:40 A.M. and provided the following information. "I brought my own CPAP machine with me from home. I know to bring my own equipment. No one ever checked it but the folks from respiratory therapy are in here to do breathing treatments several times a day. I can take the CPAP off and use the nasal cannula oxygen when I need to get up or am eating. They are great here."

The policy titled: BIPAP / Noninvasive Ventilation with a last a revision of 10/01/12 Section EQUIPMENT #5 states: "Patients with home units are asked to bring in their own machine, tubing and mask. These units can be used after the normal BioMed safety check and a wavier of liability is signed."

Staff Member #1 stated, "Neither of the patients interviewed had their equipment checked by BioMed and neither signed a waiver (of liability)."

Staff Member #9 was interviewed on 8/19/13 at 3:30 P.M. and stated, "I do not know equipment needs to be inspected for safety unless I am told the equipment is in the building. I only know of 2 pieces of equipment in the building right now and those are the 2 you know off."

Staff Member #8 stated, "We do not make adjustments on a patient's home BIPAP or CPAP. Those settings are set by the agency or company who maintains the equipment. I don't know how we would know if the equipment was working properly or not. If the patient was having a problem breathing we would switch them to a hospital BIPAP or CPAP. We monitor the patient and the equipment every 6-8 hours if the patient is stable and not in ICU. If they are on hospital equipment we monitor them every 4 hours."