Nuisance upstream occlusion alarms are typically caused by deformed sections of IV set tubing or by Micro-bubbles collecting in front of the upstream sensor. Here are some tips for troubleshooting upstream occlusion alarms that can not be reproduced by bench testing:
1) Keep tubing channel clean and dry. 2)Use only compatible IV sets. 3) Warm fluids to room temp prior to IV Set priming. 4) Fill IV set drip chambers 1/2 to 3/4 full. 5) Invert IV bags to mix (do not shake). 6) Avoid excessive lengths of tubing above the pump. 7) Check all set connections, vents, and filters. 8) Do not load deformed tubing sections into channel. 9) Do not use sets beyond recommended interval.
If a Nuisance Alarm is suspected - Check for micro-bubbles and/or deformed tubing in front of the Upstream Sensor. Load a fresh section of the IV set into the tubing channel if bubbles are present.
