Philips Medical Systems issued this Important Medical Device Notification to inform hospital risk managers of a rise in adverse event reports involving alarms on Philips bedside patient monitors. The letter explains that the increase coincided with the Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goal for clinical alarm systems and outlines three main contributing factors, such as turning off ECG/Heart Rate alarms and misconfiguring alarm sources.
The notice recommends that hospitals maintain regular training, review alarm settings, and perform preventive maintenance on monitoring equipment. It also provides a FAQ section addressing common concerns, including how to identify turned‑off alarms, the effect of selecting Pulse as the alarm source, and the importance of responding promptly to technical alarms.