Propofol pump software error
A software error in the B. Braun Space+ target-controlled infusion (TCI) pump may lead to propofol under-dosing.
A recent letter to the editor published in the Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing highlights a significant discrepancy in the implementation of the Eleveld general-purpose model for propofol in a B. Braun Space + target-controlled infusion (TCI) pump.
This model is designed to automatically adjust for patient-specific parameters such as age, sex, height, and actual body weight. Anaesthetists may be unwittingly under-dosing patients due to the pump incorrectly switching to using a weight adjustment formula when BMI>30, instead of using total body weight (which is what the Eleveld model is based on).
According to the author of the letter, the manufacturer has acknowledged the error and plans to release a software update to correct this issue.
