Improper Dating and Storage of Nebulizer Equipment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide safe and appropriate respiratory care by not properly dating, labeling, and storing nebulizer equipment for one resident. During observation, the resident was resting in bed and not using the nebulizer machine, which was sitting on the nightstand with the nebulizer tubing and mask placed on top of the machine. The tubing and mask were labeled with a date of 10/22/25, and they were not stored inside a clear plastic bag when not in use. The Assistant Director of Nursing stated that nebulizer tubing and masks are to be changed weekly, dated when last changed, and stored in a clear plastic bag that is also dated when the equipment is not in use. The resident’s clinical record showed an admission date of 1/4/23 and diagnoses including COPD, end-stage renal disease, and hypertensive heart disease with heart failure. The resident had an active PRN order for Ipratropium-Albuterol inhalation solution every six hours as needed for shortness of breath or congestion, ordered on 10/22/25. The facility’s Respiratory Therapy Equipment Use policy dated 7/3/25 stated that nebulizer masks will not be reused beyond seven days after opening and must be dated and discarded after seven days of use, whether used continuously or on a PRN basis. The Assistant Director of Nursing confirmed during the room observation that the nebulizer tubing and mask were dated 10/22/25, should have been inside a clear bag when not in use, and that the bag should also have been dated, which was not the case at the time of the surveyor’s observation.
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