title: Premature failure of battery-powered syringe pumps.
abstract: Failure of battery-powered equipment during the interhospital transfer of patients is potentially life threatening. The time to failure of 60 fully-charged identical syringe pumps (20 from each batch purchased in 1992, 1994 and 1995) was measured. Older pumps were associated with less predictable charge capacity, with 40% of the 1992 pumps failing within 60 min. The premature failure of these pumps is most likely due to poor battery care. It is unsafe to assume that a fully-charged, battery-powered pump will continue to function throughout a long transfer. The routine carriage of spare pumps or a backup power supply is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University of Birmingham, Birmingham Children's Hospital.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tatman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stokes
mesh_terms: D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D013594:Syringes; D013997:Time Factors; D014187:Transportation of Patients