ATTACHMENT I Mandatory use of thermal fuses.docx
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- Solicitation number
- 36C24226R0081
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This is a mandatory requirements attachment specifying thermal fuse installation and management protocols for home oxygen therapy services under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) VISN 2 Prosthetics Downstate Home Oxygen Services contract (Solicitation Number 36C24226R0081).
Contractors must provide and install two thermal fuses in all home oxygen delivery systems—one at the patient end and one at the oxygen source—for primary, portable, and back-up equipment, unless a documented clinical contraindication exists (such as patients using heated humidity, those requiring flow rates exceeding 25 liters per minute, or patients with behavioral conditions precluding practical use). Thermal fuses are not required for portable pulse dose/intermittent equipment lacking continuous flow settings but must be installed if continuous flow capability is available. All thermal fuses must function bidirectionally or have design features preventing incorrect installation. Existing unidirectional fuses capable of backwards installation must be replaced at the next scheduled visit. At installation, contractors must provide patient education on proper thermal fuse use and placement, emphasizing that fuses do not permit safe smoking or proximity to flames or sparks while using oxygen. Thermal fuses must be replaced per manufacturer guidelines at end of life, immediately if actuated or involved in a fire, and all education and fuse quantity information must be documented in the 'Follow up Home O2 Vendor Assessment' note in the Computerized Patient Recordkeeping System (CPRS).
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ATTACHMENT I– MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR USE OF THERMAL FUSES
Mandatory requirements for use of thermal fuses are as follows:
a. Thermal fuses must be provided for all patients on home oxygen therapy unless there is a documented clinical contraindication (e.g., patients using heated humidity, patients with flow rates in excess of 25 Liters per minute, patients with behavioral conditions that make use of thermal fuses impractical). If thermal fuses are not provided due to clinical contraindication, this must be documented in the patient’s medical record.
b. Two thermal fuses must be provided and installed in each home oxygen delivery system (one at the patient end and one at the oxygen source). This must be done for the patient’s primary oxygen therapy equipment as well as any portable oxygen therapy equipment. Back-up oxygen systems must also have the thermal fuses in place.
c. Thermal fuses are not required for portable pulse dose/intermittent oxygen therapy equipment when the equipment does not have a continuous flow setting. If conserving device has the continuous flow setting option, then thermal fuses are required to be placed in line.
d. Thermal fuses provided must work regardless of their orientation in the oxygen tubing (bidirectional) or have a design that prevents them from being installed in the wrong orientation (e.g., source end of thermal fuse has threads or bayonets that make backwards installation impossible).
e. Existing unidirectional thermal fuses that are capable of being installed in the wrong orientation must be replaced at the next scheduled home oxygen visit or sooner if possible.
f. At the time of installation, education must be provided to the patient describing the proper use and placement of thermal fuses, including that a thermal fuse does not make it safe to smoke, be near people who are smoking, or be near any source of sparks or flame while using oxygen.
g. Thermal fuses must be replaced at the end of their expected life per manufacturer’s guidelines.
h. Thermal fuses must be replaced if actuated or involved in a fire.
i. Education, as well as the number of thermal fuses provided, must be documented in the in ‘Follow up Home O2 Vendor Assessment’ note in the Computerized Patient Recordkeeping System (CPRS).
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .