A structured approach to every alarm: Follow the 4-Step Patient Safety Protocol before touching any buttons. Then use the First Digit Decoding table to quickly identify the system affected.
Remember: The machine is in BYPASS/ISOLATED mode during an alarm — the patient is protected. Do not panic.
Before touching any button, before silencing the alarm, before calling for help — follow these steps in order:
Check vitals, access site, and patient comfort. Remember: The machine is in bypass/isolated mode — the patient is protected from the fluid circuit.
Look for clotting, kinking, or visible air in the blood lines. Check the venous line clamp and the air detector bubble trap.
Document the 5-digit code (e.g., 12100, 141xx, 48100) before resetting or powering off. This is critical for troubleshooting and escalation.
Check concentrate levels, line routing, and transducer protectors. 90% of alarms are caused by disposables, not machine failure.
Do not silence or reset an alarm until you have completed all 4 steps. The code is your only record of what happened — once reset, it may be lost forever.
The first digit of the 5-digit error code tells you which system is affected:
Machine cannot pull UF, balance flow, or detect clear dialysate.
Fluid temperature or conductivity is out of safe physiological limits.
Issues with blood pumps, pressures, or the air detector.
Internal system or hardware fault — often requires BioMed intervention.
💡 90% of transient LLC/LLS faults are caused by air bubbles or displaced disposables. Check these 5 things first:
Are they snapped securely into the correct color-coded jugs? Are the filters at the bottom of the wands clear of debris?
Are the small white filters on the pressure lines dry? If blood or saline touches them, they lock up, causing immediate pressure faults.
Is there a constant stream of micro-bubbles in the lines or dialyzer? Invert the dialyzer and tap it to clear trapped air.
Is the pump crank handle folded completely flat? Is the door microswitch clicked fully shut?
Is the venous line pressed completely to the back of the optical Air Detector (SAD) clamp? Clean the sensor face with a dry lint-free wipe if dirty.
If the same 5-digit code recurs after clearing air and checking connections, or if the machine fails the sequential self-test twice during preparation.