Fresenius Saline Bags?

[alrightstill]

In my latest delivery of NxStage supplies I got a different batch of saline.  (Seems every few months the saline changes!)  This one seems to be direct from Fresenius itself (fresenius brand) and boy oh boy are they a bitch to open in every sense of the word!   Starting with the packaging itself.. the bag it comes in I haven't been able to open a bag yet without using scissors.  And then when spiking the machine.. forget about it!  It's extremely difficult.. 

 I think I'll try complaining to the clinic first (don't think that will do much good..) and then I'm going to write a letter or maybe even call Fresenius.   

Is anyone else having trouble?

[jbeany]

There's another post on here somewhere about us complaining about those.  Bill said that rubbing the spike with alcohol helps.  I tried to get Fresenius to switch back with no luck.  When my clinic decided to stop having home deliveries of Fresenius supplies for NxStage patients, then I ended up getting the other, easy to spike kind again.  Apparently, Fresinus still delivers the easy version to the clinic, or the clinic gets the Hospira brand from another supplier, I don't know which.  If you are really having problems with them, maybe you can get the saline directly from your clinic as well?

[alrightstill]

Thanks jbeany!  I'll look for that post.  I thought I remembered seeing something like that awhile back butI thought this was even a NEWER kind of saline (I could be wrong!).  You have to twist off the end to open in it in order to spike it.. .sound familiar?

Anywho - I think I will ask my center if we can trade or if they can be my supplier of saline like they used to way way back when I first started.  Thanks for the suggestion!

[Adam_W]

I had to use Fresenius saline for a few months, and I was sooooo glad when my centre switched back to Baxter.

Adam

[cherpep]

Spiking the Fresenius bags is a bear!!!  I have found that laying the bag down on top of the machine to insert the spike makes it easier.  I also use a twist & push action.  It works every time for me.  My husband just uses a needle to poke first, then inserts the spike.