Second Broselow Tape Recall in December 2025 following earlier recall in May 2025

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 08:47:13 GMT

An FDA Class I recall in May 2025 and a second recall in December 2025 have left healthcare facilities scrambling - without a reliable version of this pediatric emergency tape until at least Q2 2026.

In May 2025, the newly revised Broselow Pediatric Emergency Tape was recalled due to dangerous errors in defibrillation values and medication concentrations. AirLife, the manufacturer, issued replacement tapes with corrections.

In December 2025, those replacement tapes were also recalled - this time for errors in vecuronium, flumazenil, and ketamine dosing.

Healthcare facilities are now searching for the best Broselow Tape alternatives while waiting for a fully corrected version, which is not expected until Q2 2026.

Background: What Is the Broselow Tape?

Created in 1985 by emergency physicians James Broselow, MD and Robert Luten, MD, the Broselow Tape long served as the gold standard for pediatric emergency reference tools. The color-coded tape allows first responders and emergency clinicians to quickly estimate a child's weight based on length (height) and look up pre-calculated medication doses and equipment sizes - critical information in pediatric emergencies where every second counts.
Dr. Broselow passed away in February 2025, and Dr. Luten is no longer involved with the product. The tape's clinical content and printing are now developed and manufactured by AirLife (formerly SunMed Group Holdings, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan) and distributed in the United States exclusively by Armstrong Medical Industries of Lincolnshire, Illinois.
The 2025 Broselow Tape was the first major revision since 2019, incorporating the 2020 PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) guidelines but not yet the 2025 PALS guidelines.

First Broselow Tape Recall: May 2025 (Revision 2)

On May 15, 2025, AirLife issued an urgent recall for the 2025 Broselow Tape (Model 36-23446 Rev. 2). The FDA classified it as a Class I recall - the most serious category, reserved for situations with risk of serious injury or death.
The recalled Broselow Tapes had been distributed starting in March 2025 under AirLife reference number 7700REA and Armstrong Medical product code AE-4800.

What Errors Were Found in Broselow Tape Rev. 2?

According to the FDA recall notice and the ECRI Critical Alert (A44054), three color zones contained incorrect clinical information:

Red Zone (6–11 months, 8–9 kg) - Cardioversion/Defibrillation:
The joule values printed in the Red zone were incorrect. The potential consequences of incorrect defibrillation energy are burns, heart damage, and cardiac arrest from excessive shock energy.

Orange Zone (7–9 years, 24–28 kg) - Sodium Bicarbonate:
Incorrect concentration information that could lead to overdosing, potentially causing metabolic alkalosis, electrolyte imbalances, tissue damage, and worsened respiratory status.

Grey Zone (<3 months, 3–5 kg) - Sodium Bicarbonate:
Also contained incorrect concentration information, with similar risks for the most vulnerable patients - neonates.

AirLife instructed facilities to immediately discontinue use, quarantine affected inventory, and destroy the tapes. Replacement tapes would be sent upon receipt of the required forms.
Health Canada issued a parallel Type I recall (RA-77473) on May 20, 2025.

No serious injuries or deaths were publicly reported in connection with the recall.

Second Broselow Tape Recall: December 2025 (Revision 3)

AirLife printed a corrected version - Revision 3 - and began distributing it as the replacement for the recalled Rev. 2 tapes.

There was just one problem: The "corrected" Broselow Tape also contained errors.

What Errors Were Found in Broselow Tape Rev. 3?

On December 4, 2025, emergency nurse Jennifer Cluck (MSN, RN, CEN, ATCN) documented the errors with photographs posted to the ENA Connect professional forum. In the dosing calculation reference section of the Rev. 3 tape, she identified:

Vecuronium listed as 0.1 mg/mL when it should read 0.1 mg/kg (a unit error - mL vs. kg)
Flumazenil listed as 0.1 mL/kg when it should be 0.01 mL/kg (a tenfold dosing error)

Both errors appear in the "Pre-RSI Neuromuscular Blockers" and "Toxicology" reference sections of the tape. Cluck noted that while the dosing on the individual colored sections appeared correct, the calculation reference table - which clinicians use to verify or calculate doses - contained the mistakes.
Shortly after, additional reports on the forum confirmed that ketamine dosing was also incorrect on the Rev. 3 tape.

Armstrong Medical's Initial Response

On December 1, 2025 - before the second recall was announced - emergency nurse Jennifer Lefeber reported calling Armstrong Medical, the exclusive U.S. distributor:

"I did call Armstrong today to ask if the website was selling the corrected version. They are not planning to print a corrected version at this time. Currently, they are selling version 3 with the noted errors. Customer Service stated that while the table was incorrect - each colored section was correct."

In other words, Armstrong was knowingly selling tapes with errors and, at that point, had no plans to fix them.

Facilities Receive Tapes Without Warning

Emergency nurse Kierston Waggoner reported on December 11, 2025:

"We just received (last month) an order of 50 for the whole hospital, without any notice of errors."

Facilities across the country were receiving Rev. 3 tapes - shipped as replacements for the recalled Rev. 2 - without being informed that the "corrected" version still contained errors.

The Second Recall Announced

On December 15, 2025, AirLife officially recalled Revision 3. Emergency nurse Lisa Bassett confirmed on the ENA forum:

"UPDATE: It was recalled as of 12/15/25. New ones should be ready for purchase 2026 Q2."
Emergency nurse Nicole Howley added:

"Yes, Ketamine is now also incorrect on the tape. They now recommend removing the tape all together."

Health Canada issued a second Type I recall in December 2025, citing incorrect dosage information for ketamine, flumazenil, and vecuronium.

What to Do If You Have a Recalled Broselow Tape

Immediate Actions

Remove all 2025 Broselow Tapes from service - both Rev. 2 and Rev. 3 versions have been recalled
Check your inventory for Model 36-23446 with "2025 Edition" printed on it
Revert to the 2019 Broselow Tape if available, or use alternative pediatric resuscitation tapes
Report any adverse events to FDA MedWatch at (800) 332-1088

Workarounds Reported by Clinicians

Some emergency nurses on the ENA Connect forum reported creating manual correction labels for their tapes using label makers. However, given the multiple errors discovered, most clinicians recommended removing the 2025 tapes entirely until a fully corrected version is available.

Timeline for the Corrected Version

According to reports from clinicians who contacted the manufacturers, a corrected version is not expected until Q2 2026 - meaning facilities may be without reliable 2025 Broselow Tapes for at least six months.

Manufacturer Contact Information

AirLife (Manufacturer):
Product Quality: productquality@myairlife.com
Phone: 1-800-433-2797
Website: myairlife.com

Armstrong Medical (U.S. Distributor):
Customer Service: csr@armstrongmedical.com
Phone: 800-323-4220
Website: armstrongmedical.com

Broselow Tape Alternatives: What Are Your Options?

The 2025 Broselow Tape recalls raise serious questions about quality control processes for critical pediatric emergency tools. That a "corrected" version was released with additional errors - and that the distributor was initially selling it with known defects - is troubling for a product used to treat children often in critical condition, and where a slight error in dosage can mean life or death.
Healthcare facilities seeking a Broselow Tape replacement or alternative pediatric resuscitation tape should evaluate options that:

Use the same color-coded length zones (for compatibility with existing training and color-coded equipment)
Include the same medications, concentrations, and equipment sizes
Have a proven track record without recalls or errors
Require no additional training for staff already familiar with the Broselow system

For a detailed comparison of pediatric emergency tape alternatives - including length-based tapes compatible with existing Broselow color zones - see our guide to Broselow Tape alternatives including Pediatape.

2025 Broselow Tape Recall Timeline

Event

March 2025:
2025 Broselow Tape Rev. 2 distribution begins

May 15, 2025:
AirLife issues recall for Rev. 2

May 20, 2025:
FDA posts Class I recall notice; Health Canada issues Type I recall

May 28, 2025:
ECRI issues Critical Alert (A44054)

Late June 2025:
Rev. 3 "corrected" tapes begin shipping

December 1, 2025:
Armstrong Medical confirms selling Rev. 3 with known errors

December 4, 2025:
Errors in Rev. 3 documented on ENA Connect forum

December 15, 2025:
AirLife recalls Rev. 3

December 19, 2025:
Health Canada issues second Type I recall

Q2 2026 (expected):
Corrected version anticipated

Sources and References

This article was last updated December 24, 2025. Check back for updates as the situation develops.
Have information about the Broselow Tape recalls? Contact us at info@pediatape.com.

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