Curse you, Pulse Ox Machine!!!

Specialties Private Duty

Published

Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

I hate pox machines. The client I'm with tonight has one that was already a relic when I started here over three years ago. Every shift (2-3x/week) it frequently and randomly decides to sing to me its hypoxic tune, although the sensor is new, attached well, and the client is pink and breathing fine. As soon as I start to feel a contemptuous complacency that it's a false alarm and that the client is just fine and I don't need to come running from the bathroom down the hall where I'm working up meds, I am reminded of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and remember I should respond to every alarm. so I drop what I'm doing and fly back to the room. Of course, he's still doing fine, and before my eyes, the pulse ox's display cheerfully bounces back up from 68 to 73 to 86 to 99 within 8 seconds. GAAAHHH!! I'm going to smash this thing! (The client is immobile, so it's not movement that causes it.)

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I wonder if its Nellcor?

Those were among the worst with false alarms,although i find Massimo is no better with the false alarms.

The false alarms almost always seem to happen when i am in the bathroom.

I could be sitting in the room for 4 hours,but as soon as i sit on the toilet the alarm come on.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

You need the delay lengthened. It takes an MD order- but poses no threat to the patient given your scenario. Alarm fatigue and all.

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Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.
You need the delay lengthened. It takes an MD order- but poses no threat to the patient given your scenario. Alarm fatigue and all.

Exactly.

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Specializes in Pediatric.

Ooooh that would drive me crazy!

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