Republished from the CAMTS Blog
Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) has received several calls on this safety issue. We have been made aware of incidents as a result of the LifePort Clip Decks. We have been told that not all parties have received the following notice from LifePort. Please heed this urgent warning!
Re: LifePort, Inc.’s Clip Decks – All Models/Part Numbers
It has recently come to our attention that Life port’s Clip Deck may be subject to misues in the field. Our records show that you purchased, received through an intermediary, or may be in possession of a Life port Clip Deck. Accordingly, this is to inform you that Life Port’s Clip Deck is designed and to be used for the purposes of non-vehicular ground transfers only.
LifePort’s Clip Deck is not designed, approved and should not be used, under any circumstances, to secure or retain an AeroSled during ground vehicle travel of any kind, including ambulance travel. LifePort’s Clip Deck is not, and has never been, intended to be used in ambulances or any type of ground vehicles, under any circumstances. Any such usage will expose all persons using the equipment, including but not limited to patients, passengers and medical professionals, to possible injury or death and therefore should be ceased immediately.
Please immediately contact LifePort’s Customer Service Department at 360 225-1212 or via email at customerservice@lifeport.com to arrange for shipment of warning placards for affixation on all Clip Decks consistent with the above. LifePort will provide all placards free of cost, including affixation instructions.
Sincerely
Patrick Ogle
Customer Service Manager
LifePort
The following was received from a CAMTS accredited program:
On 6-5-17, while traveling in a ground ambulance, the LifePort sled came out of its base when going around a curve. This is the third occurrence of a sled coming out of the base at our program. When the second occurred in 2010, we took a harder look at the pins and receptacle holes they go into. We found two design flaws: 1) the metal where the pin went into was made of a softer metal, aluminum, versus steel like the one in our aircraft base 2) the hole is drilled on the edge of a bevel, facilitating its wear. When we contacted Lifeport at that time with our findings and looking for help, they offered no solutions nor assistance. We fixed the problem ourselves with our mechanic replacing the receiving metal receptacles with steel ones in all our stretchers as are in our aircraft base.
The current clip deck involved in the incident 6-5-17 was received six months ago with our new isolette. We knew we should replace the receiving metal parts and had begun the process but unfortunately it was not high priority as the prior clip decks had been used for ~ 10 years before the incidents occurred. Apparently, an even inferior metal is being used in current production for the degradation seen in the images to have occurred so rapidly. The hole is no longer round, but oblong and by its being in the bevel, you can see in image looking top down, this allows for a more rapid loss of integrity.
Our program has yet to receive the attached Lifeport notice. We know of at least 2 others that have not received this notice; we are all current customers. We learned of the warning via AAMS Critical Care Ground Special Interest Group who had a member receive this notice.
