Unomedical Manual Pulmonary Resuscitator Recall Due to Risk of Malfunction

A recall of 430 lots of Unomedical Manual Pulmonary Resuscitators (MPRs) has been announced due to a risk of malfunctions, which could lead to serious injury or death for patients.

Unomedical, Inc. announced the Manual Pulmonary Resuscitator recall on Tuesday, indicating that some of the units may not allow the device to generate the positive pressure necessary for it to function.

Pulmonary resuscitators are used to administer artificial respiration to a patient while also giving an external cardiac massage. They are used during CPR to resuscitate patients suffering from cardiac arrest, and resuscitators use positive pressure to inflate the lungs of the patient while they are not breathing, in order to keep them oxygenated.

If the MPR malfunctions, this could result in serious health consequences or death, as the devices are intended for patients that require total or intermittent ventilatory support.

The recall includes 431 lots of single-patient use Manual Pulmonary Resuscitators manufactured between July 2002 and March 2008. Healthcare professionals using the MPRs can check the lot number list on Unomedical’s webpage. Alternately, they can look at the patient valve housing below the right-angle exhalation port for the retention ring. If the retention ring is clear or transparent, or no ring can be found, the product should be returned. If the retention ring is blue, the device is unaffected by the recall.

It is recommended that customers with a recalled MPR immediately stop using it and contact Unomedical to return the device for credit. Unomedical has announced that it is contacting all known customers with details on how to identify and return the defective devices.