ASHE Medical Equipment & Infrastructure Maintenance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which standard governs the electrical safety testing of patient-connected medical equipment in U.S. healthcare facilities?
- NFPA 99 (Correct answer)
- ANSI Z136.1
- ASHRAE 170
- NFPA 72
Correct answer: NFPA 99
NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Code establishes electrical safety testing requirements for patient-connected medical equipment.
Question 2: A biomedical technician measures leakage current on an electrically isolated patient monitor and finds 80 µA chassis leakage. What is the correct action?
- Remove the equipment from service immediately (Correct answer)
- Document and continue use since it is within limits
- Replace the power supply and retest
- Increase the ground bond resistance threshold
Correct answer: Remove the equipment from service immediately
NFPA 99 limits chassis leakage current to 300 µA for general care and 100 µA for critical care areas; 80 µA approaches the critical care limit, but the action depends on area classification — however, any value exceeding the applicable limit requires removal from service.
Question 3: What is the recommended frequency for preventive maintenance on a defibrillator used in a general acute care hospital?
- Every 12 months
- Every 6 months (Correct answer)
- Every 3 months
- Every 24 months
Correct answer: Every 6 months
Most accreditation standards and manufacturer recommendations require defibrillator PM at least every 6 months due to the life-critical nature of the device.
Question 4: Which document should a healthcare facility's equipment management program use to determine the initial inspection and preventive maintenance interval for a newly acquired device?
- Manufacturer's Instructions for Use (IFU) (Correct answer)
- The Joint Commission Environment of Care standards
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.303
- CDC infection control guidelines
Correct answer: Manufacturer's Instructions for Use (IFU)
The manufacturer's Instructions for Use (IFU) provides the primary reference for PM intervals, procedures, and safety requirements for each specific device.
Question 5: In a hospital's medical gas system, what is the maximum allowable pressure drop across a zone valve when tested per NFPA 99?
- 5 psi (Correct answer)
- 10 psi
- 1 psi
- 25 psi
Correct answer: 5 psi
NFPA 99 specifies that the pressure drop across a zone valve at design flow shall not exceed 5 psi (34 kPa).
Question 6: A hospital MRI suite requires regular infrastructure checks. Which hazard is unique to MRI and must be addressed in every maintenance visit?
- Ferromagnetic projectile risk from tools and equipment (Correct answer)
- High-voltage arc flash from gradient amplifiers
- Ozone accumulation from RF emissions
- Laser radiation from imaging coils
Correct answer: Ferromagnetic projectile risk from tools and equipment
The powerful static magnetic field in MRI suites turns ferromagnetic objects into dangerous projectiles, requiring strict screening of all tools and personnel during maintenance.
Question 7: When performing a functional test on a nurse call system after a renovation, which parameter is most critical to verify?
- Response time from patient station activation to staff annunciator alert (Correct answer)
- Cable color coding at junction boxes
- Power supply voltage under no-load conditions
- Number of call stations per circuit
Correct answer: Response time from patient station activation to staff annunciator alert
The clinical purpose of a nurse call system is rapid staff notification, so verifying end-to-end response time is the most critical functional parameter.
ASHE Medical Equipment & Infrastructure Maintenance 2
Which standard governs the electrical safety testing of patient-connected medical equipment in U.S. healthcare facilities?