Medtronic HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD™) - Updates to Instructions for Use and Patient Manual on power source connector cleaning

A Dear Healthcare Professional Letter has been issued by Medtronic International Ltd to inform healthcare professionals on the updated cleaning instructions for the HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD™) Controller AC Adapter, DC Adapter, and Battery. These instructions include advice not to clean the pins of the power source connectors as attempts to clean the pins of the connectors may damage the HVAD™ system components. The pins of the power source connectors are coated with a lubricant, that should not be removed as it is intended to help prevent unexpected power switching. Power switching can occur when there are transient interruptions to the electrical connection with the HVAD™ System power sources, which may result in potential performance issues from damaging the power source connectors, ranging from negligible harm to an unanticipated VAD stop. Healthcare professionals are advised to ensure that their patients receive the updated cleaning instructions for the HVAD™ system power source connectors. Please refer to the letter for details.
Healthcare professional, Industry member, Medical devices
Published:

Dear Healthcare Professional Letters

18 Feb 2022

Only abstracts of the Dear Healthcare Professional Letters (DHCPL) are provided on this website. Details of the letters can be found on the MOH Alert System, which is accessible via the Health Professionals Portal (HPP). HPP is a one-stop portal for all healthcare professionals in Singapore. Dentists, medical doctors and pharmacists may access HPP at https://www.hpp.moh.gov.sg/, and follow the procedures below to access the MOH Alert system.

Step 1: Scroll down to the bottom navigation panel of the HPP web page. Under the Healthcare Professionals section, expand the dropdown option for ‘Healthcare Professional Portal’ and select your profession. You will be redirected to the specific HPP web page to log in.

Step 2: Click on the Restricted Content icon on the left panel of the web page and log in via SingPass.

Step 3: Click on the MOH Alert icon under the ‘Applications’ section.

Step 4: Click on the Drug Alert tab to view the DHCPLs.