BTC Medical Equipment Maintenance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When performing preventive maintenance on a defibrillator, which energy output tolerance is typically acceptable during testing?
- ±5% of the selected energy
- ±15% of the selected energy (Correct answer)
- ±25% of the selected energy
- ±50% of the selected energy
Correct answer: ±15% of the selected energy
Defibrillators are generally accepted within ±15% of the selected energy output per AAMI DF80 standards.
Question 2: A ventilator's flow sensor is reading inconsistently. What is the FIRST corrective action a biomedical technician should take?
- Replace the flow sensor immediately
- Clean or zero-calibrate the flow sensor per manufacturer protocol (Correct answer)
- Replace the ventilator circuit tubing
- Perform a full software reset
Correct answer: Clean or zero-calibrate the flow sensor per manufacturer protocol
Flow sensors are prone to contamination and drift, so cleaning and zero-calibration should be attempted before replacement.
Question 3: Which standard governs the electrical safety testing of medical equipment in the United States?
- IEC 60601-1
- AAMI ES60601-1 (Correct answer)
- NFPA 99
- ANSI Z136.1
Correct answer: AAMI ES60601-1
AAMI ES60601-1 is the US-adopted version of IEC 60601-1 and is the primary electrical safety standard for medical equipment.
Question 4: During an infusion pump PM, the technician finds the flow rate is 8% above the set rate. What action is appropriate?
- Document and return to service as acceptable
- Recalibrate the pump per manufacturer procedure (Correct answer)
- Replace the pump motor
- Notify the FDA immediately
Correct answer: Recalibrate the pump per manufacturer procedure
Most infusion pump standards require ±5% accuracy; an 8% deviation requires recalibration before return to service.
Question 5: A hospital-grade power strip fails the leakage current test. The measured chassis leakage is 800 µA. What does this indicate?
- The strip is within normal limits
- The strip exceeds the 500 µA limit and must be removed from service (Correct answer)
- The reading is acceptable only in non-patient-care areas
- The test equipment is faulty
Correct answer: The strip exceeds the 500 µA limit and must be removed from service
NFPA 99 and AAMI standards limit chassis leakage current to 500 µA for patient-care equipment, so 800 µA is a failure.
Question 6: What type of maintenance is performed based on equipment condition data rather than a fixed schedule?
- Corrective maintenance
- Preventive maintenance
- Predictive maintenance (Correct answer)
- Scheduled maintenance
Correct answer: Predictive maintenance
Predictive maintenance uses condition monitoring data (vibration, temperature, performance trends) to schedule service before failure occurs.
Question 7: When replacing a lithium battery in a portable patient monitor, what safety precaution is MOST critical?
- Wearing latex gloves to avoid static discharge
- Ensuring the correct battery chemistry and voltage rating (Correct answer)
- Storing the old battery in a metal container
- Running the monitor on AC power for 24 hours afterward
Correct answer: Ensuring the correct battery chemistry and voltage rating
Using the incorrect battery chemistry or voltage can cause thermal runaway, fire, or equipment damage in lithium battery systems.
BTC Medical Equipment Maintenance 2
When performing preventive maintenance on a defibrillator, which energy output tolerance is typically acceptable during testing?