Broselow Tape Recall: Which Editions Are Affected and What to Do

This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.

The Broselow Pediatric Emergency Rainbow Tape has been recalled twice by its maker, AirLife, for misprinted reference information. Both recalls involve the AirLife-brand “2025 Edition,” and they are told apart by the print code on the tape: 36-23446 Rev 2 or 36-23446 Rev 3. FDA describes both as “the most serious type” of recall. The tables below let clinic and hospital staff match the tape in front of them to the correct notice.

Who uses it: emergency, pediatric and prehospital teams, and the staff who stock and audit their carts and kits.

What the Broselow tape is

FDA describes the product as a color-coded, length-based tape measure. The tape is laid beside a child, and the color zone that matches the child’s length is used to look up size-matched information printed on it. The recalls concern errors in that printed information, not the tape’s length measurement.

Which tapes are affected

Two separate FDA notices cover two print versions. Check the brand, the edition and the print code printed on the tape itself.

Item	Rev 2 recall	Rev 3 recall
Brand and edition	AirLife, 2025 Edition	AirLife, 2025 Edition
Print code	36-23446 Rev 2 Print Version	36-23446 Rev 3 Print Version
Scope	Certain lots	All lots of Rev 3
Products named	Rainbow Tape, REF 7700REA	Rainbow Tape REF 7700REA and 7700RE; Broselow ALS Organizer (Full) REF 7730ALS and 7730IALS
What was misprinted	Red zone: joules in the cardioversion/defibrillation section. Orange zone and Grey zone: sodium bicarbonate concentration	“Red to Head” reference table: entries for vecuronium, flumazenil and ketamine (IV/IO analgesia)
Direction of error	Orange zone and Grey zone concentration entries were wrong in opposite directions	Flumazenil and ketamine entries were too high; vecuronium entry showed a concentration where a weight-based value belongs
FDA notice	Page current as of 07/09/2025; AirLife letter sent May 15; FDA database lists Class 1 (Z-1904-2025), initiated May 15, 2025	Early alert 01/16/2026; classified Class I on 02/11/2026

In the Rev 3 notice, FDA notes that the color-coded sections show correct values for flumazenil while the reference table does not, so a tape can look right in the color zones and still carry an error elsewhere.

What FDA says to do

Rev 2 tapes

• Examine inventory for affected product and quarantine it.
• Stop using affected tapes immediately, including tapes that have been removed from their outer labeling, for example on a Broselow Color-code Cart.
• If the product was distributed further, notify those consignees.
• Inform all affected personnel in your organization.

Rev 3 tapes and ALS Organizers

• Identify the affected product, stop using it, remove it from clinical service and quarantine it.
• Follow AirLife’s disposal instructions in its letter. Do not redistribute the tapes or return them to service.
• Make sure clinicians in your organization know that the affected Rev 3 tapes must not be used.
• Notify downstream customers if the product was distributed further, and do not ship affected stock.

AirLife’s contact for both recalls is [email protected] or 1-800-433-2797. FDA also invites reports of adverse events or quality problems through its MedWatch program. AirLife had not reported serious injuries or deaths tied to either issue as of the FDA pages’ dates. The status of a recall can change, so confirm the current notice on FDA’s site; the information here reflects the FDA pages dated 07/09/2025 and 02/11/2026, checked 2026-10-30.

How to check your tape

1. Look for the AirLife brand and “2025 Edition” on the tape.
2. Find the print code “36-23446” and read the revision, Rev 2 or Rev 3.
3. For kits and organizers, compare the REF number with the table above.
4. Check every location where tapes are kept: carts, bags, kits, and loose stock, since FDA’s Rev 2 notice specifically covers tapes taken off cart labeling.
5. Record what you found and quarantined, and follow the notice for your revision.

What a Class I recall means

FDA classifies recalls by risk, and Class I is the most serious category. FDA’s wording for these notices is that use of the device may cause serious injury or death. The classification describes the risk from the defect; it does not by itself mean harm has occurred, and AirLife reported no serious injuries or deaths. Staff who need to report problems with a device can read how the Medical Device Reporting framework works in Medical Device Reporting (MDR), and background on the regulator is in FDA (Food and Drug Administration). For wider stocking checks, see the pediatric clinic supply checklist.

Common mistakes

• Treating the two recalls as one. Rev 2 and Rev 3 are separate notices with different errors and different scope.
• Checking only labeled cart stock. FDA’s Rev 2 notice says to stop using affected tapes even when removed from outer labeling.
• Assuming correct color zones mean a correct tape. The Rev 3 errors sit in the reference table.

FAQ

Was the Broselow tape recalled?

Yes. AirLife recalled certain AirLife-brand 2025 Edition Broselow Pediatric Emergency Rainbow Tapes printed as Rev 2 in 2025, and recalled all Rev 3 tapes and Broselow ALS Organizers later; FDA classified the Rev 3 recall Class I on 02/11/2026.

What was wrong with the recalled tapes?

Misprinted information. Rev 2 had incorrect values in the Red, Orange and Grey zones; Rev 3 had incorrect entries for three drugs in the reference table. This page does not reproduce the printed values; see the FDA notices and AirLife’s letter, or contact AirLife using the details above.

How do I know if my tape is affected?

Look for the AirLife brand, “2025 Edition,” and the print code 36-23446 Rev 2 or Rev 3.

What should I do with an affected tape?

Quarantine it, stop using it, and follow the steps in the notice for your revision, including AirLife’s disposal instructions for Rev 3.

Sources

• FDA, “Broselow Pediatric Emergency Rainbow Tape Recall: AirLife Removes Certain Broselow Pediatric Emergency Rainbow Tapes due to Misprinted Information” (page current 07/09/2025), checked 2026-10-30. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-device-recalls-and-early-alerts/broselow-pediatric-emergency-rainbow-tape-recall-airlife-removes-certain-broselow-pediatric
• FDA, “Emergency Response Safety Kit Recall: Airlife Removes Certain Broselow Pediatric Emergency Rainbow Tapes and Broselow ALS Organizers” (early alert 01/16/2026, Class I 02/11/2026), checked 2026-10-30. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-device-recalls-and-early-alerts/emergency-response-safety-kit-recall-airlife-removes-certain-broselow-pediatric-emergency-rainbow
• FDA medical device recall database, recall Z-1904-2025, checked 2026-10-30. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfres/res.cfm?id=213894