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Examples of Medical Devices from Thousands of Accident and Forensic Investigations Undertaken
Surgical Robots. Risks from changes caused to surgical team dynamics; injuries possible from accessory device failures.
Vascular Catheters. Principle risk: breakage.
Infant Incubators. Hazards: overheating; newborn falls from open port holes.
ECG Monitors and Defibrillators. Implicated in failures to detect or alarm for fatal arrhythmia.
Neonatal ICU Monitors and Infant Warmer Bassinets. Have caused overheated or burned newborns.
Apheresis Dialysis Machines. Implicated in fatal gas embolism.
Radiographic Imaging: MRI Scanners, Gamma Cameras, Mobile X-Ray. Hazards from mechanical failures leading to patient crushing.
Operating and Treatment Tables. Have caused injuries and deaths from collapse during use or spontaneous movement.
Heart-Lung Bypass Systems and Blood Circuits. Implicated in fatal gas embolism and clotting disorders.
Bogus Therapy Device. "Carbogenic Therapy" machine fatally overdosed patient with CO2 and Nitrous Oxide.
Vena Cava Filters. Hazards related to migration, misplacement, or vessel perforation.
Beds: Side Rails and Mattresses. Hazards of death or serious injury from airway compression due to entrapment.
Cardiac Stents. Hazards being damaged during placement or of later clotting.
Computerized Medication Carts: Medication errors are still possible.
1982 case. Penicillin cartridge and reusable injector syringe for deep muscular injection: Vascular injection can clog the vessel with the thick medication; ischemic tissue damage; transverse myelitis; paralysis.
Test fixture for controlled pull of plunger to test the visibility of blood in the thick white drug.
No human blood seen in cartridge after plunger pulled (aspirated): No indication that needle is accidentally in a blood vessel; needle/cartridge design flaw (from 36years ago).
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