In the event of a power failure, how would you return the patient's blood?

Returning the patient’s blood during a power failure necessitates a method that ensures safety and functionality. Hand cranking provides an effective, manual means to return blood, especially in situations where the power supply needed for the automated systems is interrupted.

Using a hand crank allows the clinician to control the flow of blood back to the patient safely. This method reduces the risk of air embolism and allows the operator to manually adjust the rate of blood return, ensuring that it remains within safe parameters.

In contrast, while gravity feed may seem like a feasible method, it can be limited by the need for the blood bag to be elevated properly and poses risks of uncontrolled flow and potential air introduction if not monitored closely. Manual pumps can provide a solution, but they require additional equipment and may not always be readily available or practical in an emergency. Backup generators, while useful for restoring power to the system as a whole, do not address the immediate need for blood return during the outage.

Therefore, utilizing hand cranking stands out as a reliable and safe approach in the absence of electrical power.