F0880

D

Failure to Date and Change Oxygen Tubing and Humidifier per Facility Procedures

Lancaster, California Survey Completed on 03-23-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s infection prevention and control program related to the management of oxygen equipment for one resident. The resident was admitted with COPD, pneumonia, and asthma and had an order for continuous oxygen at 2 L/min via nasal cannula. The resident’s care plan required continuous oxygen use with interventions that included changing humidification and oxygen tubing as indicated, changing and labeling oxygen tubing weekly or as needed if damaged or soiled, and observing oxygen precautions. During observation, the resident was seen in bed on oxygen via nasal cannula with oxygen tubing and a humidifier solution container that had no dates indicating when they were last changed.

In a concurrent interview, the unit clerk stated that oxygen tubing and the humidifier solution container did not have dates and acknowledged that they must be dated to verify they were changed, adding that these items are changed every Friday and that dirty tubing can pose an infection risk. The DON stated that, although the written policy did not specify labeling, an internal policy required that oxygen tubing and humidifiers be labeled with the date changed on the tubing, concentrator, and the bag the tubing comes in, and that they are to be changed weekly to decrease infection and bacterial growth. The DON further stated that if the equipment is not dated, staff cannot confirm it was changed. Review of the facility’s oxygen administration policy indicated oxygen supplies and tubing should be replaced typically every 7 to 14 days or per manufacturer guidelines, but the observed lack of dating on the resident’s oxygen tubing and humidifier solution container showed the facility did not follow its own internal procedures for labeling and tracking changes.