SNAP Therapy troubleshooting for Vitalis HITH patients

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
2. Open the box containing the new canister.
3. Remove the old canister by pinching the two sides together at the end of the tubing and pull apart.
4. Attach the new canister by pushing it onto the end of the tubing connection point.
5. Push down on the black ‘key’ (plunger) coming out of the top of the canister until the ‘key’ stays down and there is a green display in the centre panel of the canister. You may need to do this a few times to achieve this.

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
2. Push down on the ‘key’ (plunger) and either listen to or feel around the wound to try to find where the air is escaping.
3. Once the leak is identified, use the scissors and drape given to you by your Vitalis nurse. Cut a strip, remove number 1, and carefully place it half over the dressing and half over the new skin outside the dressing. Once stuck down, remove number 2 then gently pull off the blue tab at the end of the piece.
4. Push down on the ‘key’ (plunger) to re-vac the dressing. You may need to do this multiple times until
   the green indicator stays in the display.

This could be due to an air leak in the dressing, a natural build-up of air in the wound, or the canister being full and unable to maintain the vacuum. You should check the canister and…

1. If it’s full, follow the above ‘Steps to change the canister’.
2. If it’s not full, push down on the ‘key’ (plunger) and watch for the green indicator in the display of the canister. If it is slowly rising towards the top, there is likely a leak in the dressing. In that case, please follow the above ‘Steps to take if there is an air leak in your dressing’.