Failure to Maintain AED in Safe Operating Condition
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain patient care equipment, specifically an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), according to the manufacturer's recommendations and ensure it was kept in safe operating condition. During an observation of the crash cart, the AED was found with a blinking green light, but the daily checkoff list did not include the AED, and there was no documentation supporting that daily checks were performed. Facility records indicated that the AED showed signs of malfunction on May 11, 2025, and the manufacturer was not contacted until May 15, 2025, at which point the facility was instructed to remove the AED from use until a new battery was available. Documentation failed to show that the AED was checked daily or that the manufacturer's recommended documentation procedures were followed. A complaint was filed after Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded to a resident in cardiac arrest and found the AED was not operational. Interviews with staff and the AED manufacturer confirmed the delay in reporting the malfunction and the lack of routine maintenance as outlined in the user manual. The facility's Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation policy included the use of an AED if available, but there was no crash cart policy, and the procedure relied on night staff nurses to perform daily checks, which were not documented for the AED.