Improper Use of Extension Cords for Multiple Medical Devices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a safe physical environment by allowing multiple residents to use outlet strip extension cords for essential medical equipment instead of direct wall outlets. One cognitively intact resident with obstructive sleep apnea, chronic respiratory failure, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation had a nebulizer machine, oxygen concentrator, and BI-PAP machine all plugged into an outlet strip extension cord, which was then plugged into the single wall outlet in the room, along with the resident’s bed. Another cognitively intact resident with asthma, morbid obesity, atrial fibrillation, pericardial effusion, obstructive sleep apnea, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, chronic respiratory failure, and hypoxia had a pacemaker monitor and nebulizer machine plugged into an outlet strip extension cord attached to the wall; this resident commented that it looked like a fire hazard. A third cognitively intact resident with chronic respiratory failure, obstructive sleep apnea, tachycardia, and COPD had a BI-PAP and nebulizer machine plugged into one outlet strip extension cord connected to a wall outlet, while an oxygen concentrator was plugged into a separate outlet strip extension cord behind a recliner. A fourth cognitively intact resident with obstructive sleep apnea, COPD, malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung, pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, and chronic pulmonary edema had an oxygen concentrator plugged into an outlet strip extension cord and reported sometimes putting on or taking off the nasal cannula but not handling the plugs. The Maintenance Director stated that room outlets were being changed to hospital-grade circuit breaker types over time and acknowledged that plugging multiple medical devices requiring higher electrical draw into an outlet strip could be a fire hazard. The Administrator stated that multiple residents with multiple medical devices were using extension cords because that was the only option and confirmed the facility did not have a policy for the use of medical devices plugged into extension cords.
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