Liberty Cycler issues

[dparker4077]

I will be on my Third (3rd) Liberty machine tonight.  This is in a 3 week period.  I have a question for other Liberty Users.
1.  On drain 0, the present machine drained 138ml while expecting 1500ml.  It stopped draining and without alarming went directly to fill and started putting 3000ml in to me.  It woke me up when I could hardly breathe because of the pressure on my diaphragm.  I went into a Stat Drain, and called Tech Support.  The Stat drain drained out the 3000ml pumped in on fill 1 + 1400ml from the abdomen that should have been drained on drain 0.

2.  My first machine did the same thing on the normal cycles.  It would drain about half of the 3000ml that it had pumped into me, and then go right to fill without alarming.  I refer to these instances as the times the machine tries to kill me..  :-)

3.  I have asked Tech support for detailed sequence of operation of the machine and what criteria are used to stop draining and moving to fill.  I cannot get a straight answer.  The solution is to air freight me an new cycler.

4.  Is there anybody out there that is using a Baxter Cycler and having similar issues?  If the Liberty that arrives today has similar issues, I am going to demand a Baxter machine to replace it.

All in All it do like the PD system even if it does take 8 hours every night.  It is gentle and I am able to work and move around.  I don't have to go to the Center to meet with the vampire, and it fits my lifestyle much better.  I had considered doing home Hemo, but having help all the time is an issue.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

EDITED: Moved to Correct Topic - Rerun, Moderator

[Joe]

I use the Baxter cycler and do not have those issues. They just issued a software mod that sets the minimum drain volume for the system. If you do not have that much drained out, the machine alarms and will not go to the fill cycle. For my 2000ml fills, the minimum drain is 1750ml, so I can have 250 left over, but no more. I understand the mod was made just because of issues like you are having with the Liberty system.

Good Luck

[Sydnee]

Dave I can't say we have had that issue but I can tell you that a few months ago we had a visiting PD nurse at our clinic who knew her stuff.

Our local nurse is brand new so they bring in different PD nurses to help during clinic. Well one month we got to meet a nurse from Denver that has been with FMC for 20 years and a PD nurse for the last 15 years. She was very nice and knew more than any other PD nurse we have talked to.
We asked why the first drain "drain 0" was so much different than the others. It had never failed to drain Ed in the last year that he has been on the liberty cycler but it does cut short. She told us that the first drain is based on speed of drain. I can't remember the number but there is a specific amount it expects to come out and if the liquid is not draining at that speed it stops and goes on to fill.

Can you sit or stand during that drain and then go to bed after you start to fill?

Ed is on his 3rd cycler too.

[JLM]

Any fibrin in there causing the drain problem?

[kporter85db]

I'm on my third or fourth Liberty Cycler in a little over two years and have never had this problem.

[Weggy]

Found this in the manual. Not sure if it is related.

Warning: If you have no Last Fill programmed on your cycler and you did a manual fill during the day, your cycler does not know that you must drain additional fluid. If your catheter line then gets kinked during Drain 0 and the draining stops, your cycler may advance to Fill 1 before you have finished draining. This may cause an overfill situation which may lead to serious injury or death. Always make sure that you have drained enough during Drain 0 when your cycler starts Fill 1.


As for baxter's cycler, I do not have this issue with it. I am able to set my initial drain alarm (drain 0) to a certain volume. I currently have it set at 10mL since I only have 200mL inside of me for comfort during the day. Reading through liberty's manual, it looks like the cylcer automatically sets your initial drain volume alarm to 70% of your last fill.

[msrosefromms]

I had the same issues with the Liberty. I went thru no less than 10 machines in a 4 month period. They all do the same thing . It is not the machine it is the program.I in fact told my nurse, if I died, it wouldn't be from ESRD, but the machine. I can't tell yo o many times I woke up unable to breate because I had fluid overload.  FMC used to have some fail safe commands in the program, but they evidently took out because people complained about the alarms. They gave me a remoet box so they could see what was going on. They called and ask if there was any alarms I didn't understand. They could not get it. "You ave no commands program to keep from overfilling the patient.Thank goodness I have Baxter now.  Unfortunately, any fms machine you get will do eventually do the same thing. It is the software program, not the machines.