This page has been archived on the Web
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.
Archived - Important information concerning unpredictable events in medical equipment due to Daylight Savings Time change - For the Public
- Starting date:
- March 7, 2007
- Posting date:
- March 7, 2007
- Type of communication:
- Public Communication
- Subcategory:
- Drugs
- Source of recall:
- Health Canada
- Audience:
- General Public
- Identification number:
- RA-19000551
Important safety information concerning unpredictable events in medical equipment due to Daylight Savings Time change
Health Canada wishes to draw your attention to a Medical Device Safety - Advice for Patients issued on March 1, 2007 by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) concerning unpredictable events in medical equipment due to new Daylight Savings Time change. This notification has been translated in French by Health Canada for your convenience. Please note that in Canada at the end of DST on the first Sunday in November it will be the 1:00 AM that will repeat in most jurisdictions that use DST; in Newfoundland it will be 12:00 AM that will repeat. Detailed information on time change in Canada can be obtained at http://inms-ienm.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/time_services/daylight_saving_e.html.
The original posting is available at: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/medicaldevicesafety/atp/030107-dst.html
Notice about Health Canada advisories
Advice for Patients: Change in Daylight Savings Time May Affect Your Medical Equipment in an Unpredictable Way
March 1, 2007
If you have any medical equipment that uses, creates or records time information about your diagnosis or treatment and the manufacturer has not updated it, the equipment may not work properly when the new Daylight Savings Time (DST) starts and ends this year and in future years.
Daylight Savings Time in the U.S. starts three weeks earlier and ends one week later this year, compared to the last several years. Medical equipment you use was likely made before the DST rules were recently changed and so your equipment may use the wrong dates for the start and end of daylight savings time.
If you experience a problem, it's most likely to occur on the following dates:
- March 11 (New date for start of DST)
- April 1 (Old date for start of DST)
- October 28 (Old date for end of DST)
- November 4 (New date for end of DST)
The extent and seriousness of this problem is unclear. We do not know if any medical equipment will be affected, how it will be affected, or how it may affect patients. Although we don't know what specific equipment may fail to work correctly, we are concerned about equipment that consumers or patients use in their homes. We have already notified doctors, nurses, and hospitals of our concerns.
What you need to do
- If you are a patient or caregiver, look at your medical equipment and its instructions to see whether it uses or displays time.
- If so, contact the manufacturer of the equipment and find out if it needs any software or other patch or fix so it will continue to operate correctly when daylight savings time becomes effective on March 11, 2007.
- If you cannot determine who the manufacturer of your medical equipment is or can't contact them, notify your doctor before March 11, 2007, to find out if it's safe to continue using your medical equipment.
- Check your medical equipment after 2:00 AM on March 11, 2007 to make sure it displays the correct time before you rely on it. If your medical equipment displays or uses the incorrect time, tell the manufacturer about your equipment and ask your doctor before you use it.
- When you use your medical equipment after 2:00 AM on April 1, 2007, which was the old scheduled date, make sure it displays the correct time before you rely on the equipment. If your medical equipment displays or uses the incorrect time, tell the manufacturer about your equipment and ask your doctor before you use it.
- Remember to check the time your equipment is displaying on October 28, 2007, and on November 4, 2007, to assure that it's correct.
Any suspected adverse incident can be reported to:
Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate
Health Canada
Address Locator: 2003D
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
Tel: The Inspectorate Hotline 1-800-267-9675
The Medical Devices Problem Report Form and Guidelines can be found on the Health Canada web site.
For other inquiries related to this communication, please contact Health Canada at:
Marketed Health Products Directorate (MHPD)
E-mail: MHPD_DPSC@hc-sc.gc.ca
Tel: (613) 954-6522
Fax: (613) 952-7738
Related AWRs
