During your routine check of the clinic's electronic blood pressure monitor, you notice that the readings have been consistently higher when compared to a recently calibrated manual sphygmomanometer for the same patient. What should be your first action to address this issue?
Check if the electronic blood pressure monitor's batteries need replacement
Continue to use the electronic blood pressure monitor but record that readings may be higher
Remove the electronic blood pressure monitor from service and have it calibrated
Ignore the discrepancy as long as the electronic blood pressure monitor functions and turns on
The correct action is to remove the electronic blood pressure monitor from service and have it calibrated. This action is crucial because consistent discrepancy in readings against a known calibrated device indicates a potential issue with the monitor's accuracy. Using an uncalibrated or faulty blood pressure monitor can lead to misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment decisions. Hence, it should not be used until it is calibrated and verified to be working correctly. Checking the batteries is a good practice, but inconsistent readings are more indicative of a calibration issue. Contacting a supervisor may delay the calibration process and patient care should not continue with potentially inaccurate equipment. Ignoring the discrepancy is not an option because it compromises patient care.
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Clinical Competency
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