At your unit, do you get to see your machine screen?

[John S.]

Just wondering how many people are allowed to see your screen while you are on your run? I love being able to see it to keep a tab on my liters of blood processed, time left, litres removed and to be able to take my own BP instead of having the cuff on the whole run. And to turn off my UF when I want.

john

[angieskidney]

Just wondering how many people are allowed to see your screen while you are on your run? I love being able to see it to keep a tab on my liters of blood processed, time left, litres removed and to be able to take my own BP instead of having the cuff on the whole run. And to turn off my UF when I want.

john

This was already talked about here. It is a complaint a lot of us have .

[John S.]

thanx angie
john

[Epoman]

Just wondering how many people are allowed to see your screen while you are on your run? I love being able to see it to keep a tab on my liters of blood processed, time left, litres removed and to be able to take my own BP instead of having the cuff on the whole run. And to turn off my UF when I want.

john

This was already talked about here. It is a complaint a lot of us have .

Good job angie. 

[Hawkeye]

And to turn off my UF when I want.

john

Hey john, just a quick question.  Do you dialyze at a Fresenius or are you using a Fresenius machine with Fresenius dial?  If so and you are using a 160, 180, or 200 dial it is VERY bad to turn off your UF.  All three of those dials are what we call High Flux dials and require that negative pull from the UF to operate properly.  If you shut off the UF you lose that neg pressure and you can cause septic issues with your blood.  Basically contaminant's will cross back over the membrane into your blood.  You should turn down the UF, but never off if you use this combination for dialysis.

[angieskidney]

And to turn off my UF when I want.

john

Hey john, just a quick question.  Do you dialyze at a Fresenius or are you using a Fresenius machine with Fresenius dial?  If so and you are using a 160, 180, or 200 dial it is VERY bad to turn off your UF.  All three of those dials are what we call High Flux dials and require that negative pull from the UF to operate properly.  If you shut off the UF you lose that neg pressure and you can cause septic issues with your blood.  Basically contaminant's will cross back over the membrane into your blood.  You should turn down the UF, but never off if you use this combination for dialysis.

Wow! What version of Fresenius is that? I know mine doesn't have a dial but just a button ... so I turn my UF off but ONLY when my BP drops suddenly and I am cramping up a storm.

[Panda_9]

Never heard of that before Hawkeye. We turn the UF off if needed, but if you dont want to take anymore fluid off for the rest of the treatment, the UF is left on but set at 100ml/hr. Apparently with the UF turned off, it can affect waste removal.

[Hawkeye]

Wow! What version of Fresenius is that? I know mine doesn't have a dial but just a button ... so I turn my UF off but ONLY when my BP drops suddenly and I am cramping up a storm.

When I said dial I meant Dialyzer.

Never heard of that before Hawkeye. We turn the UF off if needed, but if you don't want to take anymore fluid off for the rest of the treatment, the UF is left on but set at 100ml/hr. Apparently with the UF turned off, it can affect waste removal.

The only time this is an issue is if the dialyzer you are using is a 160, 180, 200 or any other High Flux dialyzer.  You would think that due to the importance of it that it would be common knowledge, but it took and in service from someone from Walnut Creek (One of the Fresenius headquarters) for us to find it out.  I've been doing this for a few years and it was the first I heard of it, and the same goes for the nurses and other staff that attended.  If you work for a Fresenius clinic try asking your clinical educator and see what they can tell you.  I'll do the same and see what they have to say too.

[John S.]

No, we have Baxter machines. And I definitely ask tons of questions before i even think about touching the machine. I don't do it just to do it. I am fairly certain I know as much about the machines as anyone at my clinic. Same thing as amber said. The UF stays on at about 100 per hour after turned off.
john

[Hawkeye]

No, we have Baxter machines. And I definitely ask tons of questions before i even think about touching the machine. I don't do it just to do it. I am fairly certain I know as much about the machines as anyone at my clinic. Same thing as amber said. The UF stays on at about 100 per hour after turned off.
john

Ah ha, if you use Baxter machines there is a huge difference.  When you turn the UF off on a Baxter machine the UF doesn't actually turn completely off.  The machine goes into a low UF mode where it pulls only a very little amount each hour.  In other words it's not a true on / off switch.  Supposedly this is something that Fresenius is looking into implementing in future versions of the software.

[kitkatz]

Explain to me, please, why in the hell you would have to purchase a hand mirror just to see YOUR machine screen.  Seems like they should put YOUR machine where YOU can see it and not put you through all kinds of contortions to see it!

[Panda_9]

Wow! What version of Fresenius is that? I know mine doesn't have a dial but just a button ... so I turn my UF off but ONLY when my BP drops suddenly and I am cramping up a storm.

When I said dial I meant Dialyzer.

Never heard of that before Hawkeye. We turn the UF off if needed, but if you don't want to take anymore fluid off for the rest of the treatment, the UF is left on but set at 100ml/hr. Apparently with the UF turned off, it can affect waste removal.

The only time this is an issue is if the dialyzer you are using is a 160, 180, 200 or any other High Flux dialyzer.  You would think that due to the importance of it that it would be common knowledge, but it took and in service from someone from Walnut Creek (One of the Fresenius headquarters) for us to find it out.  I've been doing this for a few years and it was the first I heard of it, and the same goes for the nurses and other staff that attended.  If you work for a Fresenius clinic try asking your clinical educator and see what they can tell you.  I'll do the same and see what they have to say too.

I use a 170H at home and a 210H incentre. It seems our unit is finding out new things all the time, which is to be expected. A few little changes are made every now and then with things.

[MattyBoy100]

We can see the screens on our machines.  The nurses said they would train me up so I could use the machines as well.  Obviously this will take time but it shows willingness to teach if I take an interest in my own care.

[angieskidney]

We can see the screens on our machines.  The nurses said they would train me up so I could use the machines as well.  Obviously this will take time but it shows willingness to teach if I take an interest in my own care.

In my unit they teach you as well .. but since the nurses go back and forth between two different units (not during the same shift) and the other unit is NOT a self care one like mine, they seem to forget that at my unit we do as much as we know how all ourselves. Because of that, they usually just do everything for us and forget to have the screen facing us .. no matter how many times we remind them 

[Fox_nc]

Argh!  Ok this is all greek to me ... I guess I need to make an effort to see my machine.  I can't see it from where my bed sits, but my husband can and he asks me questions about it.  I start the new center next week and I'll have a talk with them 

[kevno]

Just now on a Gambro AK200 which I am profiled in. Which means I can take more fluid off at the beginning of dialysis. Then each hour the machine takes less fluid off. I did have a problem getting cramp in my legs because of the calcification. But since I have been profiled the last hour the machine only takes off a couple off hundred mls. There is no screen on too see on the Gambro just a lot of Buttons and lights. When I was on the a Fresenius 4008 I used to turn the machine to wards me so I could see what was going on.

[angieskidney]

Just now on a Gambro AK200 which I am profiled in. Which means I can take more fluid off at the beginning of dialysis. Then each hour the machine takes less fluid off. I did have a problem getting cramp in my legs because of the calcification. But since I have been profiled the last hour the machine only takes off a couple off hundred mls. There is no screen on too see on the Gambro just a lot of Buttons and lights. When I was on the a Fresenius 4008 I used to turn the machine to wards me so I could see what was going on.

Ah the UF profile. I don't have one set but I do have a sodium Profile. Of course the last 3 times I did it they still didn't have it on the sheet so they kept asking me "why are you setting up a sodium profile when you aren't supposed to be on one" and I told them because I am on one but no one put it into my file yet.  Hopefully tomorrow when I go in it will be on the sheet finally.

Even though the unit is a Self Care one that I am at, they treat you like it is the main hospital unit. But some of the nurses expect you to know more than they even taught you!! 

Sometimes I feel like a little bitch trying to remind them over and over and over again what I need:

• "screen turned back my way",
• "garbage near me",
• "light out over head",
• "I want the exercycle",
• "don't unplug my headphones just because my run is done! I have to sit here anyway at the end so let me finish watching my damn show!" 

And then at the end when I must runback (or rinse back as some of you call it) I can't even reach the line to open the clamp! So I think to myself "damn it! I forgot to remind them about THAT!"