Overheating and Rupture of FMS 2000 Rapid Infuser

Abstract

ATRANSFUSION DEVICE equipped with a warming unit is a crucial tool for rapid blood transfusion in clinical settings such as iver transplantation and cardiac and trauma surgeries. Among many imilar devices, the Belmont FMS 2000 Rapid Infuser (Belmont nstrument Corporation, Billerica, MA) is one of the most widely sed since its introduction in 1999. Despite its user-friendly design nd high performance,1-4 malfunctions of this device have been reorted.3 Between June 2009 and August 2010, the authors encountered 12 cases in which the warming unit of the FMS 2000 Rapid Infuser became overheated during rapid transfusion. Two of the 12 overheated warming units ruptured. In an attempt to identify the cause of the problem, the authors performed a series of experiments on the FMS 2000 Rapid Infuser. Twelve cases (one in detail) and the results of the authors’ investigation are reported here. Recommendations for management of this problem are also provided.