Often the health care professional may be irritated by their BMET, asking for access to
the medical device, to perform a “PM”. They may think or say, “But it is working fine!” or “I
may need it!” or “I don’t want you to break it!” or the best question of all, “Why do you need to
PM it, it worked fine the last time I used it?”. Defending the health care professional, they are
probably not aware of the term “PM” and its importance in helping them perform their job?
What does the term “PM” mean? PM involves the biomed performing two distinct tasks
plus electrical safety:
1) Preventative Maintenance: doing something on a medical device to avoid future issues.
2) Performance Checks: ensuring the medical device is working as designed.
3) Electrical Safety: ensuring the device poses no electrical hazard to the patient or user.
Listed below are a few tasks performed on a defibrillator, during a PM:
Preventative Maintenance Tasks: to avoid future issues.
➢ Test the battery: to ensure it can operate on battery power as designed and replace the
batteries if required. Failure means battery operation is not available.
➢ Test all the cables/probes: to ensure they are in good order and physical connection to
each parameter (ECG.Spo2, etc.) is reliable. Failure means the parameter may not be
possible.
Performance Check Tasks: to verify the device is working as designed.
➢ Testing the energy output: to ensure it is available every time a health care professional
discharges the defibrillator! Failure means a patient’s life will be at greater risk and adds
much more stress for the health care professional
trying to save the patient’s life.
➢ Testing arrhythmia detection: to ensure it detects specific arrhythmias. Failure may
result in issues such as the defibrillator’s AED mode not working!
➢ Testing cardioversion operation: to ensure it tracks the R portion of the patient’s ECG.
Failure can cause ventricular fibrillation instead of correcting atrial flutter/fibrillation or
ventricular tachycardia. Think of the stress placed on the health care professional if this
occurred!
To answer the health care professional’s question, “Why does a BMET need to PM a medical
device?”, because your Biomedical Engineering Technologist wants to ensure the medical
device you are using works every time and without failure!