Cartridges: The main supply of cartridges should be kept refrigerated at 2—8°C (35—46°F). In this state, they may be used until the date shown on the cartridge pack or box. Do not allow the cartridges to freeze. Cartridges may also be stored at room temperature (18-30°C or 64-86°F) for the time frame defined on the cartridge box. For example, CG8+ cartridges may be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks; then they must be discarded. Cartridges should not be returned to the refrigerator once they have been warmed to room temperature, and they should not be exposed to temperatures above 30°C (86°F). If a cartridge is removed from the refrigerator, then the labeled expiration date should be crossed out and the temperature expiration date should be written on the cartridge package.

Controls: Blood gas, electrolyte, and chemistry controls should be stored at 2—8°C (35—46°F). They may also be stored at room temperature (18 to 30 °C or 64 to 86 °F), but only for up to 5 days.

Analyzer: The i-STAT analyzer (and accessories) should be stored in the hard plastic case provided in the allowance standard. The device should be protected from extremes of temperature as much as possible. The optimal operating temperature range is 16 to 30 ºC.

Electronic Simulator: Store at room temperature and protect contact pads from contamination by making sure the blue plastic cap (Figure 4) covers the contact pads when stored in its protective case after use.

DEPLOYMENT CONSIDERATIONS

One challenge for POC testing in the deployed setting is keeping the equipment within the proper temperature range.

- Cartridges used for a mission may be placed in the CCATT refrigerator bag to avoid temperature exposures above 30°C (86°F). Another option is to hand carry the i-STAT cartridges rather than leave them in the gear Do not leave the i-STAT cartridges exposed to direct sunlight and maximize use of climate-controlled environments (e.g., flight-line vehicles) to moderate temperature extremes.
- Optimal operating temperature for the i-STAT analyzer is 16—30 ºC (61—86ºF). If the device is either too hot or too cold at power-up, the following error message will be displayed on the screen: Temperature Out of Range. For a cold device, find a warm area on the aircraft or truck or place the analyzer in your flight suit to warm up. When the device is too hot, rest it on top of an ice pack and protect it from getting wet with a piece of plastic or a Chux pad. Typically only 5 minutes is needed to reduce the temperature to an acceptable If an aircraft is pre-positioned with equipment to minimize response time for “wheels-up,” the i-STAT may become too hot and not function.
- If a cartridge is used beyond its temperature expiration date, or if a cartridge is used despite having been exposed to a temperature beyond 30°C (86°F), then annotate this on the 3899L (next to the lab result). It is left the provider’s discretion whether to use the results in clinical decisions.
- If you are seeing any of the following Codes 20, 27, 41, and 87 can be caused by poor contact that can sometimes be corrected by conditioning the pins in the analyzer using the ceramic conditioning cartridge. If i-STAT unit locks up and are unable to insert CG cartridge into unit use ceramic conditioning cartridge to reset pins.