Faulty 4 Prong Cassette

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Last night I connected my Baxter cycler in the usual way, broke the bag seals opened the clamps and set it to prime. Whilst it was doing so the fluid started to splurt out of the patient line as if the cap wasn't secure. There were also a lot of air bubbles in the line so I decided to change the set. I disconected the the faulty set from the fluid bags and reconnected a new set but I'm a bit worried now thinking should I have replaced the bags as well? Is it safe to connect a new set to bags which had already been connected once to the faulty set although there was no faults in the original connections to the bags, only the patient line. Any one had the same experience?

[KICKSTART]

Sorry Ken cant help you there as i do Capd , but i saw the thread and was expecting it to be something about music !!

[carson]

Ken, if I understand correctly you should replace the bags as well. BUT I've had a similar experience when I was on Fresenius and I just replaced the lines without incident. Just watch how you feel for the next week.

[MyssAnne]

I'm on Fresenius, but I was told by my nurse, to replace EVERYTHING bags, tubes. If you disconnect, it's contaminated.
I found out the hard way. I disconnected a bag from the tubes to carry it to another location, and got peritonitis.
From then on, I just left the machine and went to manual if I had to be somewhere else. It's just safer all around.
MUCH better that way.

[goofynina]

Yes Ken, you should replace everything when something like that happens, i have done it before as well, called my PD nurse and she said, throw away everything and start all over again.  I am sure you will be ok but just recognize any pain in your abdomen as soon as you feel it and call your PD nurse right away for a weeks dose of antibiotics.  Good luck to you 

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Oh Shit! What's the incubation period for the dreaded peritonitis? It was two nights ago,  I'm OK up to now, fingers crossed. I was just too knackered to go and get new bags out of the garage and set it all  up again but I will in future, I should have known better.
Thanks all for the advice. 

[rimbo74]

If it makes you feel better Ken, I would have used the same bags.  I disconnect myself during dwell all the time so i can take care of my daughter.  Which i wouldn't think its any worse than that.  As long as you don't touch the connection on the tube, I think you are fine.

I have not had peritonitis yet.   

[MiSSis]

Rimbo,

I'm a little confused when you say you disconnect during dwell all the time.  You're not using the same connection each time, are you?  I certainly wouldn't do that but I use a Fresenius machine and tubing and each night I add an MTS (Multiple Tubing Segment) Set when gives me an additional 2 snap-disconnects to use.  I've added as many as 2 of these at a time which allows me to disconnect 3 or 4 times during the pause or dwell cycles.  This works really great on those nights when I get a late start.  I can get up in the morning, shower or whatever, and still come back at a later time to finish up dialysis.  Or I can start dialysis at an earlier time but still not have to be confined to the bedroom so soon. 

MiSSis 

[goofynina]

When on Baxter and when we disconnect, we are given what are called Flexicaps, which when we do disconnect, we place the flexicap on the tube and and place it back in the holder until we are ready to connect again.  It's pretty easy, you just have to be really careful not to touch the tips of the tubing or the cap while you are disconnecting

[rimbo74]

What goofy said!!   

[goofynina]

Sorry about that Rimbo, couldnt resist answering