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Manufacturer
Model
What This Guide Helps With
Addresses loss or instability of medical air or oxygen caused by wall supply, hoses, connections, fittings, or related external gas-source conditions.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Maintain Safe Patient Ventilation
Treat any loss of ventilator gas supply as a potentially urgent patient-support issue. If a patient is connected, provide immediate ventilation and oxygen using another verified ventilator or appropriate backup method.
Do not troubleshoot unreliable gas delivery while the patient depends on the affected unit.
Expected outcome: The patient is continuously ventilated with a dependable gas source.
2. Identify Which Supply Is Affected
Determine whether the ventilator reports loss of:
- Medical air
- Oxygen
- Both supplies
- An intermittent or low-supply condition
Record any displayed message and the conditions immediately preceding the failure.
Expected outcome: The affected gas path is identified. If the alarm clears after a confirmed temporary infrastructure interruption and all functions verify normally, troubleshooting can stop after documentation.
3. Inspect Wall Connections
Verify each gas hose is fully inserted into the correct wall outlet or source connection. Confirm oxygen and air have not been crossed.
Inspect the outlet engagement for obvious looseness or incomplete connection.
Expected outcome: Both gas hoses are connected to their correct sources. If securing the connection restores normal gas status, perform functional verification and troubleshooting can stop.
4. Inspect Ventilator Hose Connections
Confirm the air and oxygen hoses are securely connected at the ventilator. Look for loose fittings, damaged connectors, contamination, or evidence of impact.
Do not use damaged gas fittings.
Expected outcome: Both hoses are securely connected and physically intact. If correction restores the supply, troubleshooting can stop after completing the applicable check.
5. Inspect Hoses Along Their Full Accessible Length
Check each hose for:
- Kinking
- Crushing
- Sharp bends
- Cuts
- Abrasion
- Damaged fittings
- Obvious leakage
- Equipment or furniture restricting the hose
Expected outcome: The gas hoses have an unobstructed path and no visible damage. If repositioning or replacing a damaged hose restores normal operation, complete verification and troubleshooting can stop.
6. Verify Facility Gas Source
Test or compare the suspected wall outlet using an appropriate facility-approved method or another known-good outlet.
If multiple devices on the same source show similar problems, consider an infrastructure issue rather than a ventilator fault.
Expected outcome: The facility gas source is confirmed available. If the outlet is the problem, move the ventilator to a verified source and refer the infrastructure condition to the appropriate department.
7. Test With Known-Good Compatible Gas Hoses
When necessary, substitute a known-good compatible air or oxygen hose one at a time.
Expected outcome: Normal gas recognition returns with a known-good hose or the external hose is ruled out. If a hose is defective, remove it from service and complete ventilator verification.
8. Verify Gas Recognition During System Check
With the ventilator off the patient and both verified sources connected, perform the applicable system or pre-use check.
Expected outcome: Both air and oxygen supplies are recognized without unresolved alarms. If the check passes, proceed to final functional verification.
9. Perform Functional Verification
Operate the ventilator on approved test equipment or a suitable test lung according to facility practice. Confirm ventilation remains stable and gas-related alarms do not recur.
Expected outcome: The ventilator maintains normal operation using verified air and oxygen supplies. Troubleshooting can stop and the unit may be returned to service.
10. Escalate Persistent Gas-Supply Recognition Failure
If a verified gas source and known-good hose remain unrecognized, stop external troubleshooting.
Expected outcome: The device remains removed from clinical use pending qualified bench evaluation.
If the Problem Persists
If wall sources, hose routing, connections, and known-good hose substitutions have been verified, persistent gas-supply failure may involve an internal pneumatic inlet, pressure-sensing, gas-control, electronic, or service-level problem.
The ventilator should be:
- Removed from service
- Labeled Out of Service
- Sent for repair or bench evaluation
- Evaluated using appropriate manufacturer documentation and approved test equipment
- Repaired or configured only by qualified personnel
After corrective work, verify both gas supplies, alarms, ventilation performance, and required pre-use testing before return to service. Stopping after verified external gas causes have been ruled out prevents unsafe assumptions.
Clinical Use Tip
A ventilator reporting loss of air or oxygen should never remain the sole source of patient ventilation while the supply problem is being investigated.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Respiratory Therapy reported the Evita V800 displayed an oxygen supply failure when connected in the patient room."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found the oxygen hose fitting was incompletely engaged at the wall outlet."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering reconnected the oxygen hose securely, confirmed both gas supplies were recognized, completed the system check and functional test, and returned the ventilator to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Gas supply reported failed
- Exact displayed message
- Wall outlet used
- Air hose condition
- Oxygen hose condition
- Ventilator-side fitting condition
- Known-good source tested
- Known-good hose tested
- Whether other devices were affected
- System-check result
- Final device status
Final Thought
Gas-supply failures should be approached from the source toward the ventilator: protect the patient, verify wall supply, inspect hoses and fittings, use known-good substitutions, and only then consider an internal problem. Confirm normal operation before returning the device to use.
That is successful troubleshooting.