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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshoots oxygen concentration or calibration problems caused by gas supply, sampling conditions, sensor exposure, circuit setup, accessories, or configuration.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect the Patient and Verify Oxygen Delivery Independently
Do not rely on an anesthesia machine with questionable oxygen concentration measurement or delivery. If the issue occurs during patient care, transition to another verified system or independent oxygen-monitoring method according to clinical procedures.
Expected outcome: Patient oxygen delivery does not depend on an unverified machine.
2. Confirm the Exact Oxygen Problem
Determine whether the reported issue involves measured oxygen concentration, actual delivered oxygen concentration, calibration failure, unstable readings, or slow response. Record the displayed value, gas settings, and any calibration message.
Expected outcome: The complaint is narrowed to measurement, delivery, calibration, or response behavior.
3. Verify Oxygen Supply
Confirm the oxygen pipeline connection and cylinder supply as applicable. Check accessible hoses, connectors, and source identification for secure and correct connection.
Expected outcome: A valid oxygen source is connected and available to the machine.
4. Inspect the Breathing and Sampling Path
Check the patient circuit, oxygen-measurement location, sampling lines, adapters, water traps, and associated external components for loose connections, leaks, fluid, contamination, or incorrect assembly.
Expected outcome: The measurement pathway is correctly assembled and free of obvious external conditions that could distort the reading.
5. Verify Calibration Conditions
Ensure calibration is being attempted under the conditions required by the machine's approved operating procedure. Allow appropriate stabilization when the machine, sensor, or environment has recently changed. Do not use undocumented calibration methods or offsets.
Expected outcome: The calibration attempt is performed under valid conditions.
6. Inspect Removable Oxygen-Sensing Components When Applicable
If the applicable configuration uses a user-removable or service-accessible oxygen-sensing component, inspect its external condition, connection, and seating. Replace only with an approved component and only when authorized.
Expected outcome: The oxygen-sensing component and its accessible connections are correctly installed and undamaged.
7. Compare With an Independent Analyzer
With the machine out of patient use, use an approved oxygen analyzer to compare delivered oxygen concentration with the machine's displayed value under controlled conditions.
Expected outcome: Delivered and displayed oxygen concentration are consistent, or a repeatable discrepancy is confirmed.
8. Repeat Calibration and Complete Functional Verification
After correcting an external cause, repeat the approved calibration and verify oxygen monitoring, gas delivery, alarms, and other required pre-use functions.
Expected outcome: Calibration completes successfully and oxygen concentration is accurately displayed and delivered.
If the Problem Persists
If gas supply, breathing and sampling connections, calibration conditions, removable sensing components, and independent oxygen measurement have been ruled out, the issue may involve an oxygen sensor, gas-mixing system, internal sampling pathway, calibration subsystem, or another service-level condition.
Remove the Getinge Flow-c from service, label it Out of Service, and send it for repair or bench evaluation. Further evaluation should use current manufacturer documentation and approved gas-analysis equipment. Internal calibration, gas-system repair, or configuration changes should be performed only by qualified personnel.
Do not return the machine to service until oxygen delivery and monitoring have been verified through required functional testing. Knowing when calibration troubleshooting should stop protects against unsafe gas delivery.
Clinical Use Tip
Treat disagreement between set, displayed, and independently measured oxygen concentration as unresolved until the entire oxygen-delivery and monitoring path is verified.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"OR staff reported the Getinge Flow-c would not complete oxygen concentration calibration during pre-use testing."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found moisture in the external gas-sampling line affecting the oxygen measurement."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering replaced the affected sampling component, completed the approved calibration, and verified oxygen concentration with an independent analyzer."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Displayed oxygen concentration
- Set gas mixture
- Exact calibration message
- Pipeline and cylinder status
- Sampling-line condition
- Water-trap or adapter condition
- Oxygen-sensor connection if applicable
- Independent analyzer result
- Calibration result after correction
- Alarm verification
- Final device status
Final Thought
Oxygen problems require independent verification rather than assumptions. Confirm the source, sampling path, calibration conditions, and measured output before suspecting internal failure, then escalate unresolved discrepancies and document the verified results.
That is successful troubleshooting.