Drager Apollo

Asset Type

Anesthesia Machine

Manufacturer

Drager

Model

Apollo

What This Guide Helps With

This guide helps troubleshoot the BREATH. SYS. TEMP. HIGH alarm on the Drager Apollo anesthesia machine when the breathing system temperature is too high. This condition may affect delivered gas safety, breathing system operation, or machine reliability and should be treated as a patient safety concern first.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

1. Ensure Patient Safety First

• Do not troubleshoot a breathing system temperature alarm while relying on the machine for active patient ventilation unless clinical staff confirm it is safe.
• Notify anesthesia staff immediately if the alarm occurs during patient use.
• Remove the anesthesia machine from patient use if the alarm is active, repeated, or associated with abnormal ventilation, unusual heat, odor, or patient circuit concerns.
• Have anesthesia staff ventilate the patient using an alternate approved method if needed.
• Do not continue using the machine if the breathing system or patient circuit appears unusually hot.

2. Verify the Reported Alarm and Behavior

• Confirm the exact alarm displayed is BREATH. SYS. TEMP. HIGH.
• Ask when the alarm occurred: startup, pre-use checkout, active ventilation, after extended use, or intermittently.
• Check for associated symptoms such as warm breathing system components, warm breathing hoses, unusual odor, ventilation interruption, or additional system alarms.
• Confirm whether the alarm clears temporarily or returns after the machine is restarted or allowed to cool.

3. Check for Obvious Heat Before Continuing

• Carefully check the outside of the breathing system, absorber area, patient circuit connection points, and nearby surfaces for unusual heat.
• Do not open internal covers or disassemble the breathing system beyond normal user-removable components.
• If the breathing system or gas path feels unusually hot, stop troubleshooting and remove the device from service.
• Label the anesthesia machine Out of Service and send it for repair evaluation.

4. Check Breathing Gas and External Heat Conditions

• Ask clinical staff whether the delivered gas, circuit, or breathing hoses seemed unusually warm.
• Check whether heated humidification, external warming accessories, forced-air warming devices, or other heat sources were used near the anesthesia circuit.
• Move external heat sources away from the breathing system and patient circuit when safe to do so.
• Allow the system to cool after it has been removed from patient use.

5. Inspect the Patient Breathing Circuit

• Check the breathing hoses, filters, HME, Y-piece, and circuit connections.
• Look for kinked tubing, restricted tubing, blocked filters, saturated filters, contaminated components, or incorrectly installed accessories.
• Confirm circuit components are not resting against heat-producing equipment or blocking airflow around the machine.
• Replace damaged, blocked, wet, contaminated, or incorrectly installed accessories.

6. Check the Breathing System Assembly

• Verify the breathing system is properly seated and assembled according to normal clinical setup.
• Check the absorber canister, visible seals, gaskets, accessible breathing system components, and connection points.
• Look for loose components, improper assembly, fluid contamination, visible damage, or signs of abnormal heat.
• Correct any setup issue found before repeating checkout.

7. Check Work Area and Environmental Conditions

• Verify the anesthesia machine is not positioned near a heat source.
• Check for blocked vents, supplies covering ventilation openings, direct sunlight, hot room conditions, or equipment placed too close to the machine.
• Move drapes, bags, carts, or supplies away from the machine ventilation areas.
• Confirm the machine has proper airflow around it before testing again.

8. Power Cycle Only After Patient Safety Is Addressed

• Only power cycle the machine after it has been removed from patient use and patient ventilation is safe.
• Turn the machine off and allow it to cool if it feels warm.
• Restart the machine and observe whether the alarm returns during startup or checkout.
• If the alarm returns after cooling and proper setup, suspect a device-related temperature sensing, heating, control, or breathing system fault.

9. Perform a Full Pre-Use / Checkout Test

• Have the appropriate clinical or technical checkout performed after any correction.
• Confirm there is no BREATH. SYS. TEMP. HIGH alarm.
• Confirm there are no additional breathing system alarms.
• Verify normal ventilation, acceptable leak/system checks, correct circuit setup, and normal gas flow behavior.
• Do not return the anesthesia machine to service based only on the alarm disappearing.

10. Determine Whether the Issue Is External or Device-Related

• If a blocked filter, incorrect circuit setup, external heat source, blocked airflow, or assembly issue was corrected and the alarm does not return, the issue was likely external or setup-related.
• If the alarm returns with proper setup, normal environment, and known-good circuit accessories, remove the device from service.
• Escalate repeated alarms to DragerService or qualified anesthesia service support.

If the Problem Persists

If BREATH. SYS. TEMP. HIGH continues after the breathing circuit, filters, absorber area, breathing system setup, environmental conditions, airflow, and external heat sources have been checked, remove the anesthesia machine from service.

At that point, external causes have been reasonably ruled out. The device should be removed from patient use, labeled Out of Service, and sent for repair or bench evaluation.

Persistent breathing system temperature alarms may indicate an internal temperature sensing issue, heating issue, control fault, breathing system fault, or other unsafe operating condition.

Clinical Use Tip

Never troubleshoot this alarm on an active patient while relying on the anesthesia machine for ventilation. Move the patient to a backup ventilation method or alternate anesthesia machine first, then troubleshoot the removed device.

Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)

CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution

Complaint

What was reported by the clinical staff.

Example:
"Drager Apollo anesthesia machine displayed BREATH. SYS. TEMP. HIGH alarm during use / checkout. Staff reported breathing system temperature alarm and concern for elevated breathing system temperature."

Cause

What was observed during troubleshooting.

Example:
"Checked breathing circuit, filters, absorber area, external heat sources, ventilation openings, and breathing system setup. No external cause found. Alarm indicates breathing system temperature is too high; likely internal temperature sensing, heating, control, or breathing system fault."

Resolution

What action was taken.

Example:
"Removed machine from service, labeled Out of Service, and escalated for repair evaluation / DragerService support. Device not returned to service due to unresolved BREATH. SYS. TEMP. HIGH alarm."

Helpful Details to Include (If Known)

• Alarm behavior
• Accessories swapped
• Power behavior
• Environmental factors
• Indicator lights
• Final device status

Final Thought

A high breathing system temperature alarm should be treated as a patient safety issue first and a repair issue second. Rule out external heat, blocked airflow, circuit problems, and setup issues, but do not keep troubleshooting endlessly if the alarm repeats. Proper escalation and clear documentation protect the patient, the clinical team, and the equipment record.

That is successful troubleshooting.