Prevention of Medical Gas Mix-ups at Health Care Facilities-Survey

Requirements for Collection of Data Relating to the Prevention of Medical Gas Mix-ups at Health Care Facilities-Survey--(OMB Control Number 0910-0548)--Extension FDA has received four reports of medical gas mix-ups occurring during the past 9 years. These reports were received from hospitals and nursing homes and involved 7 deaths and 15 injuries to patients who were thought to be receiving medical grade oxygen, but who were actually receiving a different gas (e.g., nitrogen, argon) that had been mistakenly connected to the facility's oxygen supply system. In 2001, FDA published guidance making recommendations to help hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities avoid the tragedies that result from medical gas mix-ups and alerting these facilities to the hazards. This survey is intended to assess the degree of facilities' compliance with safety measures to prevent mix-ups, to determine if further steps are warranted to ensure the safety of patients.