BD Alaris™ Syringe Pumps

Issue

BD has identified through an internal investigation that the BD Alaris™ syringe pumps may develop a mechanical anomaly on the linear potentiometer if the device is not stored in the correct position. The syringe plunger moves along the linear potentiometer component during infusion. This is an internal component and not readily visible to the clinical user. If this anomaly occurs, it can lead to incorrect sensor readings, which may trigger error codes PL3, PL8, or PL9. These PL error codes are an intentional design feature that notify the clinical user that the syringe pump has detected an internal malfunction and can occur for a number of reasons. The PL3/PL8/PL9 error codes result in the syringe pump issuing an error message along with a red illuminated beacon, and a high priority alarm tone. If an infusion is in progress, it will stop. The error code will be displayed on the syringe pump as <error code and message>, see below image example of a PL9 error code.

What you should do

• Contact the manufacturer if you require additional information.