Ventilator and Monitoring Equipment Alarms Failed During Tracheostomy Dislodgement
Penalty
Summary
Failure to maintain mechanical, electrical, and patient care equipment in safe operating condition resulted in a ventilator not alarming when a resident’s tracheostomy tube flange broke and the tube became dislodged. The resident had diagnoses including anoxic brain damage, acute and chronic respiratory failure, tracheostomy status, and pneumonia due to pseudomonas, and was ventilator-dependent. On the evening in question, a respiratory therapist (RT 4) entered the resident’s room and found the tracheostomy flange broken, the tracheostomy tube deviated approximately 45 degrees to the right, partially out of the stoma, and about 1.5 inches out of position, with the resident’s lips noted to be blue. Despite this significant displacement, the ventilator was not alarming, and the continuous pulse oximeter alarm was also not sounding even though the resident’s oxygen saturation was below 90%, requiring RT 4 to move the sensor to a different location. During subsequent suctioning, respiratory staff observed a significant amount of blood and performed additional suction passes due to continued blood accumulation. The resident’s oxygen saturation dropped further, prompting initiation of manual ventilation, but oxygen levels did not improve. Nursing staff checked for a pulse, found none, and the resident was lowered to the floor where CPR was performed until EMS arrived; the resident could not be revived and died. RT 4 later reported that he checked all ventilators after the event because the ventilator had not alarmed, and he had previously expressed concerns to the interim respiratory supervisor that some ventilator alarm cables were breaking, which could prevent alarms from signaling to the call system, and that some pulse oximeters were not working, leaving him at times without needed monitoring equipment. The Administrator stated that the contracted respiratory company was responsible for supplying all respiratory equipment and that no equipment issues had been reported to him.
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