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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshoots inability to begin or resume therapy caused by alarms, setup conditions, power problems, controls, disposables, or programmed-state issues.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect the Patient and Maintain Prescribed Therapy
Do not delay necessary treatment while troubleshooting the pump. Transfer therapy to another verified device or approved method when clinically required.
Expected outcome: Prescribed therapy continues safely while the suspect pump is evaluated separately.
2. Confirm the Exact Failure
Determine whether the pump will not power on, will not start after programming, will not resume after an alarm, or appears to run without delivering fluid. Record displayed messages and indicators.
Expected outcome: The failure is clearly categorized before corrective action begins.
3. Check Power Status
Confirm the installed batteries have adequate condition for testing or connect an approved external power source as appropriate. Inspect accessible battery contacts and external power connections for obvious damage or contamination.
Expected outcome: The pump has a stable power source. If restoring power resolves the failure and operation remains stable, troubleshooting can stop after functional verification.
4. Address Active Alarms and Prompts
Review any active alarm or displayed condition. Check for unresolved door, occlusion, air, set-loading, or other external conditions preventing operation. Do not repeatedly clear alarms without addressing their cause.
Expected outcome: No unresolved safety condition is preventing therapy. If clearing the actual external cause restores operation, the issue is resolved.
5. Inspect the Administration Set and Fluid Path
Verify the administration set is compatible, properly loaded, fully primed as appropriate, and free of visible kinks or closed clamps. Confirm the fluid source and downstream test path are usable.
Expected outcome: The pump has a valid external fluid pathway. If correcting the setup restores delivery, troubleshooting can stop after verification.
6. Verify Controls and Programmed State
Confirm the pump is in the expected operating state and that displayed therapy information is consistent with the intended test configuration. Do not alter clinical protocols or protected settings solely to make the pump run.
Expected outcome: The pump accepts normal authorized controls and can transition into the expected operating state. If a user-state or setup issue is corrected, proceed to final verification.
7. Test With a Known-Good Setup
Use a known-good compatible administration set, appropriate test fluid source, and nonpatient pathway. Determine whether the inability to deliver follows the original setup or remains with the pump.
Expected outcome: Normal operation with the known-good setup identifies an external cause. Persistent failure indicates the pump requires additional evaluation.
8. Verify Actual Delivery
Do not rely only on a running indicator. Use appropriate approved test equipment or a suitable bench method to confirm the pump is actually moving fluid and behaving consistently.
Expected outcome: Actual delivery is demonstrated and consistent with the approved functional test. If successful, troubleshooting can stop.
9. Escalate Persistent Start or Delivery Failure
If the pump cannot start, resume, or demonstrate reliable delivery with known-good external components, remove it from service. Do not attempt board-level repair or unauthorized configuration changes.
Expected outcome: An unreliable infusion pump is prevented from returning to patient care.
If the Problem Persists
Power-source issues, active alarms, administration-set loading, external restrictions, controls, and basic operational state have been checked. Remaining causes may involve internal pumping mechanisms, sensing, electronics, software, configuration, or service-level faults.
Remove the pump from service, label it Out of Service, and send it for qualified bench evaluation. Use manufacturer documentation and approved test equipment. Repairs, calibration, and configuration changes must be performed by qualified personnel. Complete required performance and safety testing before return to clinical service.
Stopping when reliable delivery cannot be demonstrated is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
A pump displaying a running state should not be considered functional until actual fluid delivery has been verified when delivery failure is the reported complaint.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Nursing reported the CURLIN 6000 would not resume the infusion after being paused."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found an unresolved administration-set loading condition preventing the pump from entering normal operation."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Correctly reloaded the compatible set, verified the pump started and delivered fluid during bench testing, confirmed alarm function, and returned the device to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Whether the pump powered on
- Exact displayed message
- Battery or external power status
- Door and set condition
- Active alarms
- Fluid source condition
- Clamp and tubing status
- Known-good set result
- Whether actual delivery was confirmed
- Final functional test
- Final device status
Final Thought
Maintain therapy, distinguish a setup or power issue from a genuine delivery failure, verify actual pump output, and escalate immediately when dependable infusion cannot be demonstrated.
That is successful troubleshooting.