Infusion Pump Alarms

Katnip, RN · Apr 19, 2004

Oh, wonderful. Now, everyone who has an AC line and bends their elbows will be setting off central alarms. Maybe they want them to drown out the cardiac monitors? What will they think of next?

No, we don't have them, and I hope we never get them. We can all hear IV pump alarms going off up and down the hall, and believe me, when we don't come to check them soon enough the patient or family member will let us know. I really think there are more important ways to spend the budget.

Ortho_RN · Apr 20, 2004

Yes, we use the new Alaris pumps.. and there is a connector that goes into the wall that whenever the bag is empty or their is an occlusion is starts beeping "IV Out" on the call light system... It gets really annoying.... And according to JCAHO we are suppose to be able to hear these pumps when they alarm from any point on the floor.. There is no way... I work on a 30bed floor, we sure can't here the ones at the very end of the hallway... Or maybe its just my hearing...

littlejumper · Apr 20, 2004

I use the Alaris pumps and yes there are connectors that can be attached to the call system. If you have patients down a long hall, you need the call system to let you know that there is a problem. Have you been a patient? Well, I have and lying there in the bed with an alarm going off is very agitating especially when the nurse walks by and doesn't bother to silence it or to even see why its alarming. We need to be sensitive to our patient's needs and their surroundings.