Safety Alert for ABACUS Total Parenteral Nutrition Calculation Software, Versions 3.1, 3.0, 2.1, and 2.0

According to Department of Health, this safety alert involved a device in Hong Kong that was produced by Baxter.

What is this?

Alerts provide important information and recommendations about products. Even though an alert has been issued, it does not necessarily mean a product is considered to be unsafe. Safety Alerts, addressed to health workers and users, may include recalls. They can be written by manufacturers, but also by health officials.

Learn more about the data here
  • Type of Event
    Safety alert
  • Date
    2014-05-23
  • Event Date Posted
    2014-05-23
  • Event Country
  • Event Source
    DH
  • Event Source URL
  • Notes / Alerts
    Hong Kong data is current through September 2018. All of the data comes from the Department of Health (Hong Kong), except for the categories Manufacturer Parent Company and Product Classification.
    The Parent Company and the Product Classification were added by ICIJ.
    The parent company information is based on 2017 public records. The device classification information comes from FDA’s Product Classification by Review Panel, based on matches of data from the U.S. and Hong Kong.
  • Extra notes in the data
    Medical Device Safety Alert
  • Reason
    Medical device safety alert: baxter abacus total parenteral nutrition calculation software, versions 3.1, 3.0, 2.1, and 2.0 the united states food and drug administration (fda) has issued a medical device safety alert concerning abacus total parenteral nutrition (tpn) calculation software with software version 3.1, 3.0, 2.1, and 2.0 manufactured by baxter. the affected code numbers are 8300-0045, 8300-0046, 8300-0047, 8300-0156, 8300-0157, 8300-0158, 8300-0166, 8300-0167, 8300-0168, 8300-0169 and the affected devices were manufactured from 17 may 2006 through 28 may 2013 and distributed from 17 may 2006 through 17 march 2014. abacus tpn calculation software is a windows-based software application used by pharmacists to calculate or order tpn formulas. tpn is used to meet the nutritional needs of patients who cannot eat or drink by mouth and is used in the hospital or in the home by a licensed health care professional. due to software failures, the manufacturer has identified the following potential issues when using abacus tpn calculation software: abacus v3.1 may calculate quantities of electrolytes that are double the expected values during the creation of tpn orders. abacus v3.1 may automatically add additional sterile water to a formula equal to the volume of a premix resulting in an over dilution. all software versions of abacus software display the calcium phosphate curve points for premasol incorrectly; and all software versions of abacus may display an inaccurate estimation for calcium and phosphate precipitation in certain circumstances where multiple ingredients provide calcium if any of these failures were to occur, patients may be at risk for toxic or overdose symptoms. the symptoms are varied and depend on the type of software failure and composition of the fluid being compounded. symptoms may be non-specific and include nausea, vomiting, dizziness or fatigue. some more severe symptoms include a problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmia), an abnormal buildup of fluid in the air sacs of the lungs, which leads to shortness of breath (pulmonary edema), congestive heart failure and seizures. a fatal outcome is possible, especially with the high risk population. the manufacturer directed customers to follow safe compounding practices, and contact them to ensure that the abacus software is configured correctly. the manufacturer is removing the user’s permission to edit the tpn order template configuration. customers with a software version earlier than 3.1 will have software version 3.1 installed that addresses the issues in the recall. in addition, the manufacturer will schedule upgrades and assist customers with establishing the proper abacus configuration in the customers’ facilities. for details, please refer to the following fda websites: http://www.Fda.Gov/safety/medwatch/safetyinformation/safetyalertsforhumanmedicalproducts/ucm398509.Htm http://www.Fda.Gov/medicaldevices/safety/listofrecalls/ucm398428.Htm if you are in possession of the affected products, please contact your supplier for necessary actions. posted on 23 may 2014.

Device

  • Model / Serial
  • Product Classification
  • Product Description
    Medical Device Safety Alert: Baxter ABACUS Total Parenteral Nutrition Calculation Software, Versions 3.1, 3.0, 2.1, and 2.0
  • Manufacturer

Manufacturer