(b)(4).The opt944 interface is used to deliver humidified oxygen to patients and consists of a lightweight delivery tube connected to a rigid plastic base and soft nasal prongs (nasal interface).The interface is held in place by a head strap and features a head strap clip which works in tandem with the tubing clip (attaches to the patient's clothing/bedding) to support the weight of the circuit and prevent the cannula being dislodged.Method: the complaint opt94x interface was discarded by the hospital and not available to be returned to fisher & paykel healthcare in new zealand for evaluation.Therefore, our investigation was performed based on the information provided by the customer and our knowledge of the product.Conclusion: we were unable to confirm what caused the pressure sore on the patient's ear.However, based on our knowledge of the product, pressure sores are often a result of incorrect set up.During initial reporting of the complaint, the hospital advised that "a high percentage of the staff may not be fitting the interfaces as instructed." upon receiving this complaint, the local fisher & paykel healthcare field representative organized to provide further training to the customer regarding correct fitting and set up of the interface.It was also reported by the hospital that the patient "had a feeding tube and various other equipment/tubing around the ear area" and thus they "were not certain the sores had been caused by the optiflow interface.".The user instructions which accompany the opt944 nasal cannula contain pictorial instructions for setting up the nasal cannula.The instructions also state that the interface is intended to be used "for delivery of humidified respiratory gases" and includes the following cautions/warnings: - do not crush or stretch tube, to prevent loss of therapy.- failure to use the set-up described above can compromise performance and affect patient safety.
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