10/15/98 - 23:00CDT

By C. L. Staten

Chicago, IL (EmergencyNet News) -- According to a recently released Government Accounting Office Report (GAO/T-AIMD-98-310), issued on 24 Sept. 98, at least 34 manufacturers of defibrillation equipment are reportedly producing monitors/defibrillators that are deemed "noncompliant" with Year 2000 requirements. According to the GAO definition, "noncompliant" means that "the equipment will not function properly upon the change to the year 2000 and that no manufacturer remedy is available." As many as 182 different "types" of monitors/defibrillators may fall into this non-compliant category.

The report further states that another 102 manufacturers of monitor/defibrillation equipment are only "Conditionally-Compliant" with Year 2000 requirements. "Conditionally-Compliant" is defined by the GAO as "the equipment requires some form of user intervention to function properly after the year 2000." As many as 673 "types" of monitors/defibrillators may require user or manufacturer intervention and/or modification in order to assure proper function after Jan. 1, 2000.

In some cases, the GAO said that the fault with the machines may simply be the fact that they may provide an incorrect date/time stamp, and that the equipment's clinical function may not be impaired. In others, embedded computer chips may cause unknown malfunctions in essential operations. Without appropriate testing and further assurance from manufacturers, health care providers can not be sure of the Year 2000 compliance capabilities of their equipment. The GAO report did not list specific manufacturers or brands of equipment in their study.

Therefore, ERRI analysts say that it is recommended that all EMS/Fire/Police/Medical and other agencies that operate advanced life support equipment, to include the use of heart monitors and defibrillators, should ascertain the Year 2000 compliance status of the specific brands of equipment that they use. To do otherwise could result in potential malfunction and/or liability for not assuring the safety and efficiency of the equipment.

A Copy of the GAO report; "YEAR 2000 Computing Crisis - Leadership Needed to Collect and Disseminate Critical Biomedical Equipment Information," Dtd. 24 Sept 98, GAO/T-AIMD-987-310 can be obtained from:

The U.S. General Accounting Office P.O. Box 37050 Washington, DC 20013

Or by calling (202) 512-6000

(c) EmergencyNet News Service, 1998. All rights reserved.