Philips HeartStart XL Defibrillator/Monitor (Model number M4735A) - Product Usage: is for use in the hospital by qualified medical personnel trained in the operation of the device and qualified by training in basic life support, advanced cardiac life support, or defibrillation. It must be used by or on the order of a physician.

Recall Insight

This FDA Devices action (record #Z-2053-2020) was formally reported on May 27, 2020, with the manufacturer initiating the action on April 13, 2020. It is classified under Moderate severity (Class II), with a current status of Terminated. Philips North America, LLC is listed as the recalling firm, operating out of Andover, MA. Federal records indicate 94,034 units units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: The rotary therapy selector switch may fail, resulting in unexpected device behavior including: 1) The device may not turn on; 2) The device may not perform the selected function;3) The device may deliver a shock with a… Distribution data in the federal record shows the product reached: Worldwide distribution - US Nationwide distribution.. Distribution scope directly affects the consumer exposure window and determines whether a recall remains regional or escalates into a nationwide advisory.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by FDA Devices. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 6 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.