Heart disease health centre

Warning over faulty heart defibrillators

21^st November 2012 -- More than 1,300 emergency heart defibrillators kept in public places like shopping centres, railway stations and dental surgeries may not work because of battery faults.

The health regulator MHRA is asking first aiders to check their samaritan PAD 300/300P defibrillators made by HeartSine Technologies Ltd. Problems have been found with battery management software and the devices can also turn on or off when not in use. This can drain the battery, meaning they can't be used if someone has a cardiac arrest.

The manufacturer has issued a global correction notice for the defibrillators which were distributed from August 2004 to December 2010. The serial numbers for the affected devices are:

• 0400000501 to 0700032917 inclusive
• 08A00035000 to 10A00070753 inclusive
• 10C00200000 to 10C00210318 inclusive

No other HeartSine Samaritan PAD 300/300P defibrillators are affected by these battery issues.

The MHRA says the company is issuing affected customers with a reserve battery so that emergency care can be given to patients in the event of a low battery. It is also issuing instructions on how the software can be upgraded.

The MHRA says if affected devices are found, the manufacturer’s field safety notice should be followed. For first aiders with concerns, HeartSine can be contacted on 02 8 9093 9400.