Specialty Solutions Spotlight: Charging Medical Devices Safely
Tanisha Dilbert
Manager, Operations, Apricus, an Enlyte company
What are best practices for safely charging medical devices to prevent overheating?
Medical devices such as hearing aids, electrical stimulation devices, sleep apnea machines, glucose monitors and insulin pumps play a crucial role in injured employee care and wellness. However, understanding how to safely charge these devices is essential to prevent the risks of overheating, which can lead to fires, minor injuries or even serious burns. Failure to properly maintain and use these devices can lead to costly replacements and potential gaps in treatment or care an injured employee may need.
Follow these best practices to safely charge medical devices:
- Before connecting a medical device to a power source, read, understand and follow the guidelines from the manufacturer. It’s important to use only the accessories provided by the manufacturer for charging. These include items such as cables, chargers and adapters. Third-party accessories made by other equipment manufacturers or meant for different devices could pose risks. They could potentially allow much higher power into the device, increasing the overheating risk or even injuries.
- While charging the device, inspect it and the charging accessories for signs of damage, like melting or warping where the charger plugs into the device. Stop charging immediately if any damage is noticeable.
- Be mindful of where the device is being charged. Avoid places near easily flammable materials or soft surfaces like a couch, pillow or curtains, where overheating can occur more rapidly. Charge devices during the day when awake, as charging overnight may allow for missed early signs of overheating.
- Once the device is fully charged, unplug it from the charger. Remember not to expose the device to extreme temperatures and avoid direct sunlight.
Taking care of medical devices is not just about maintaining them physically but also about ensuring their safe and effective use. Apricus Specialty Solutions’ care coordinators make certain that injured employees have access to the appropriate devices needed for their recovery. We partner exclusively with approved vendors for all equipment and services. This ensures that you receive devices that are both reliable and safe. And to make sure your injured employees get the full benefit of these devices, we can assist with equipment training via the provider.
This information is meant to serve as a general overview, and any specific questions should be fully reviewed with a health care professional or specialty service provider.
To make a referral for durable medical equipment (DME) and other services, call us today at 877.203.9899 or send an email to referrals@apricusinc.com.