When renewing medical equipment is necessary: a case report.

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to present a remarkable medical equipment-induced adverse event and to suggest ways to prevent similar problems. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH This paper uses a case study to discuss when it is necessary to renew medical equipment. FINDINGS The paper finds that repairing medical equipment using inappropriate parts causes severe iatrogenic problems. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS Events like this may be underestimated because well-organized reporting strategies in health care units are inappropriate. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Defining expiry dates for medical equipment may prevent unsatisfactory repair, especially when original parts are unavailable. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The paper highlights the fact that simple errors cause severe patient injuries.