EBME Forums Forums Free discussion Free discussion Baxter Colleague "Ugent Device Correction"

Hi all

How many of us have complained that the Colleague under infuses (all of us who test Colleagues)? How many that it over-infuses (probably none because it doesn't)?

Baxter now say it does under-infuse but its all down to "the environment", "fluid density", "wrong type of container", "positioning of bags" and other such user errors.

Here and now I will state that we test using saline, in a collapsable bag, sensibly positioned and we still get under-infusion (a few percent, up to 5% commonly - more and it gets a new PHM). But then we are using an IDA and that is also a "user error".

Strangely enough, among all its regular failings and crap construction, I've never seen a Colleague with an infusion problem like that.

I just wish Baxter would call it a day on this steaming pile and let us tow them all out to sea and sink them with gunfire. We know they're embarrassed by this pile of crap, and what's more they know that we know.

Who the f*ck would ever design and build a pump around an inadequate battery, a pump that was more porous than Oliver Reed at happy hour, more complex than a Rolex watch, has less impact resistance than a Doulton figurine, weighed more than the Cutty Sark's anchor, and could be made to read 'failure' with little more than a hard stare!!

For any device that has to perform this function, the three most important criteria are:

1.Big and easily accessible battery.
2.TOTALLY waterproof.
3.Bounceability from 2 metres several times without damage.

...how hard is that in this day and age?

I often wonder how well companies like Black and Decker/BOSCH/etc. could produce a foolproof device like this..

..btw, Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Did the PPQ make all of this clear, I wonder? And if so, why were they purchased?

PS As poet myself, I must say how much I appreciate your phraseology in the above post, Mr. Exitwound! How long did it take you to compose that, I wonder? Keep 'em coming, Mate.

No need to be so formal Geoff 'ol buddy, 'exit' (always lower case), will do..

That was composed very quickly due to my world turning red at the very mention of these 'devices'. My prosaic inspirations come from various verbal experts.... Edmund Blackadder, Jeremy Clarkson, Dr.Cox (Scrubs) and the best of them all.... Gunnery Sgt. Hartmann (FMJ) ...to name a few.

We really hate these gadgets, from the top of their pitchforks to the bottom of their hooves and one day when the world refuses to buy any more and dump what is left, a certain company will scream so loudly that old Nick hisself will tear up the contract he made with them at birth jus sos he can get some sleep!!

Historically, we ran with the wonderful Danby DCR's for a while, simple, well alarmed, tough, accurate little beasts but fraught with software hangups and the last straw was a part falling off of a door which resulted in a free flow. Personally I believe it could have been sorted out in time to give us a trouble free IV device, but someone bought out the company and closed it down... Now we have a pump which initially, and on paper, was the biz, but turned into a black hole of upgrades, modifications, and compromises although I will say when it works its fine, its just not robust enough for a commonly used, volume purchase... On reflection though, I imagine we're not the first engineers to suffer at the hands of the accountants....

I take it that you don't think much of these pumps then?



Blwyddyn Newydd Dda.

Our purchase of these was the worst equipment aquisition since Olaf the Hairy, procurement chief of the '24/7 Pillage' Viking hoard, specified and ordered 80,000 new battle helmets with the horns on the inside!

I take it you know the Baxter Reputation, it goes second to Abbott (A / B) made by WOOLWORTHS purchased in the sale £2.50 what a rip off.
They are as much use as a one legged man in an arse kicking contest. To be avoided at all cost.

Come on guy's, you know what the procedure is, if you think you have a problem, dosh an incident report into the MHRA and tell Baxter, don't take B/S and don't discuss it on an open forum.

I won't go into the in's and out's of our problems because its ongoing, but I will say make sure your test procedure is flameproof, if you use Baxters recommended procedure there can be no argument.

I have uploaded a copy of Baxters' procedure onto my web site
http://www.balaam.org.uk/temp/Colleague_accuracy_test.pdf

Isn't the alternative recommended procedure for determining delivery accuracy of the Baxter Colleague, in the field, a volumetric method (using a burette)? That's what's recommended in the service manual provided on the service course I attended. I believe gravimetric tests (using scales) are performed at the Baxter service department in Northampton.

Correct, that's why we have used their method so that we were both testing on a level playing field, as I said before there's no argument from Baxter because we are testing it their way.

Besides, we're in a workshop not the field, so what's the matter with doing it that way? Its much more accurate.