Sak inflated like balloon????

[Pod99966]

So I made a Sak yesterday, and just as it was finishing, it alarmed a "No Flow" alarm (don't remember the #).

So I look at the sak and it is inflated like a balloon. I had to actually stab it with a knife to let air out so I could pull the drawer out. Since there was a problem, I tried to drain the sak and it wouldn't drain. Not the control head, it did all the normal things like it was draining, but no fluid was draining. I now have a hose leading to my bath tub so I can syphon the fluid out.

[Dannyboy]

What did NxStage tech support say?

[Pod99966]

I didn't bother to call them. I finally got it drained enough to lift the bag out. [who knew my spending my youth syphoning gas out of my dads car to fill my own would come in handy one day].

And I started another sak. It seems to be working fine now. It was like that sak had a hole in the line with the thick tubing part. but the hole seemed to be inside the sak. Maybe I damaged it when getting the kink out and sliding the green tube down. I wish I had taken pictures, it would have been funny if I wasn't so troubled.

[Dannyboy]

"who knew my spending my youth siphoning gas out of my dad's car to fill my own would come in handy one day"


 

[PrimeTimer]

So I made a Sak yesterday, and just as it was finishing, it alarmed a "No Flow" alarm (don't remember the #).

So I look at the sak and it is inflated like a balloon. I had to actually stab it with a knife to let air out so I could pull the drawer out. Since there was a problem, I tried to drain the sak and it wouldn't drain. Not the control head, it did all the normal things like it was draining, but no fluid was draining. I now have a hose leading to my bath tub so I can syphon the fluid out.

Yeah, the SAKS do look like big balloons. I call them roasted turkeys. Anyways, one of the lines (with the blue clamps or the one with the orange clamp) or even one of the others lines connected to the SAK may have gotten pinched off by the weight/size of the SAK. That's happened to me and all I've had to do was gently rock the SAK enough so I could *gently* free up whichever line was being pinched against the tub wall. Once I made sure no other lines were being pinched off, I pressed GO and was back in business. It passed the Conductivity Check and the Chloramines Test. I think sometimes the SAK will roll to one side or the other while making a batch and end up pinching a line against the inside of the wall of the tub. But that's okay...just gently rock or roll the SAK a little like a beached whale until you free the pinched line and press GO again. By the way, Tech Support doesn't mind late nite calls...I have always gotten a good response from them and they will walk you thru a situation (they love to do that) and you will learn something new every time! I keep their 800# taped to our cycler. Hope my tips help and you won't have to drain the hard way next time! We make our batches at nite when we go to bed so that way, if it doesn't pass the tests in the morning, we still have a chance to make another 7-hour batch to do treatment in the evening. Over time, you will get use to all this lingo and this whole process. We've only been doing it about 7 months on our own so still slow at it and learning but getting into a routine. In fact, earlier tonite I had to stop and think "Did I start a new batch yet???"  Imagine that! Actually reaching the point where I DIDN'T have dialysis on my mind! Whew!! A real breakthrough for me!     Sorry, couldn't help it, felt good to realize that my brain was allowed to think of something other than dialysis... Anyway, you will do alright and settle into your own routine and don't be too proud or shy to call Tech Support. They are our friends, they do love helping people! Good luck! 

[amanda100wilson]

I never shut the door off my Pureflow cabinet, because I make sure that I pull all lines up and outside of the cabinet.  That seems to have cure the problem of them getting pinched by the bag while making the batch.  Someone suggested taping the green lines to the cabinet, but this is essentially an easier fix even than that.

[PrimeTimer]

I never shut the door off my Pureflow cabinet, because I make sure that I pull all lines up and outside of the cabinet.  That seems to have cure the problem of them getting pinched by the bag while making the batch.  Someone suggested taping the green lines to the cabinet, but this is essentially an easier fix even than that.

I use to leave the lines hanging outside the tub, too when making a batch. I didn't want any of the lines getting pinched off by the SAK as it filled but...it bothered me that the manual said to drape the lines on the inside of the tub. I finally decided to just drape the lines on the inside of the tub because we make our batches overnite while we sleep and I'd sure hate to have a leak going on that I couldn't get to in time before the living room gets flooded. If the lines should leak, at least they'd leak inside the tub and not all over the carpet, which in the apartment we live in looks bad enough!

[obsidianom]

I never shut the door off my Pureflow cabinet, because I make sure that I pull all lines up and outside of the cabinet.  That seems to have cure the problem of them getting pinched by the bag while making the batch.  Someone suggested taping the green lines to the cabinet, but this is essentially an easier fix even than that.

I use to leave the lines hanging outside the tub, too when making a batch. I didn't want any of the lines getting pinched off by the SAK as it filled but...it bothered me that the manual said to drape the lines on the inside of the tub. I finally decided to just drape the lines on the inside of the tub because we make our batches overnite while we sleep and I'd sure hate to have a leak going on that I couldn't get to in time before the living room gets flooded. If the lines should leak, at least they'd leak inside the tub and not all over the carpet, which in the apartment we live in looks bad enough!

We drape them outside and have never had a leak in over 2 years. It is easier to avoid pinching lines that way.

[PrimeTimer]

I never shut the door off my Pureflow cabinet, because I make sure that I pull all lines up and outside of the cabinet.  That seems to have cure the problem of them getting pinched by the bag while making the batch.  Someone suggested taping the green lines to the cabinet, but this is essentially an easier fix even than that.

I use to leave the lines hanging outside the tub, too when making a batch. I didn't want any of the lines getting pinched off by the SAK as it filled but...it bothered me that the manual said to drape the lines on the inside of the tub. I finally decided to just drape the lines on the inside of the tub because we make our batches overnite while we sleep and I'd sure hate to have a leak going on that I couldn't get to in time before the living room gets flooded. If the lines should leak, at least they'd leak inside the tub and not all over the carpet, which in the apartment we live in looks bad enough!

We drape them outside and have never had a leak in over 2 years. It is easier to avoid pinching lines that way.

Obsidianom, that's a relief to know! We've only been doing home hemo for 6-plus months so it's good to know that you guys have been using it a long time with no leaks.

[Simon Dog]

I'd sure hate to have a leak going on that I couldn't get to in time before the living room gets flooded.

I had a sak where the small .2 micron filter on the line with the blue clamps leaked from the seam.   NxStage sent a mailer to pick up the sak, and I have never had that exact problem with another sak since - but I always check the lines for leaks a few minutes after starting a batch.

[PrimeTimer]

I'd sure hate to have a leak going on that I couldn't get to in time before the living room gets flooded.

I had a sak where the small .2 micron filter on the line with the blue clamps leaked from the seam.   NxStage sent a mailer to pick up the sak, and I have never had that exact problem with another sak since - but I always check the lines for leaks a few minutes after starting a batch.

Oh no! Another thing (the micron filter) for me to check! lol  By the way, guess I really should go back and read the manual because...I keep the green clamp before the micron filter clamped while a batch is being made until I'm ready to "prime the line" for treatment. Not correct?? I gotta get out that darn manual!

[Pod99966]

Oh no! Another thing (the micron filter) for me to check! lol  By the way, guess I really should go back and read the manual because...I keep the green clamp before the micron filter clamped while a batch is being made until I'm ready to "prime the line" for treatment. Not correct?? I gotta get out that darn manual!

I wouldn't worry about the green clamps. The liquid does not travel down that line until you start using it for treatment. That line is actually blocked off in the control head while the sak is being made.

[PrimeTimer]

Oh no! Another thing (the micron filter) for me to check! lol  By the way, guess I really should go back and read the manual because...I keep the green clamp before the micron filter clamped while a batch is being made until I'm ready to "prime the line" for treatment. Not correct?? I gotta get out that darn manual!

I wouldn't worry about the green clamps. The liquid does not travel down that line until you start using it for treatment. That line is actually blocked off in the control head while the sak is being made.

I agree. I didn't find anywhere in the manual where it specifically said to "clamp" or "leave the green clamp unclamped" while a batch is being made. So, I am going to continue doing what I've been doing and clamp it until the batch is finished being made, passed the chloramines test and ready to be primed for treatment.

[obsidianom]

I ALWAYS keep the green clamp clamped when making a batch or between treatments. This is a safety measure to reduce the chances of fliud coming out the end of the line if the scew caps are loose.
The other day we had a disaster. I was all cannulated and starting to hook up for treatment and when I tried to take the arterial line off the saline bag the little plastic tip tore and made it useless. I was some ticked off. I had to reprime a cartridge and hoped the cannulated lines didnt clot. I used a little extra heparin and kept flushing the lines every 5 minutes. It worked thankfully but I was not happy with the cartridge. I let tech support hear about it.
By the way the BEST tsch support guy is Carlos. I always hope I get him. He actually works out in California. He has been in the dialysis business over 20 years and knows his stufff and is great to deal with. Real nice guy. He told me they are adding new tech support guys now .

[caregivertech1]

The same thing happened to me about a year ago. The arterial tip was fused and broke when I tried to remove it from the saline connection. Ever sense, I always turn the red and blue connections just a slight turn and re-tighten when I remove the protective white cardboard. This way if they are fused I'll know before cannulation and before I even put the cartridge in the cycler for prime.

[PrimeTimer]

Once had the plastic tip of a syringe break off over at the saline bag. Forgot what NxStage Tech Support had me do for a fix but I do remember being told that sometimes plastic connectors or syringe tips will fuse/become stuck or break off if they are wet at the time of connection, sort of like forming a seal of sorts.
I'm also careful to not over-tighten things.   

[Simon Dog]

I'd sure hate to have a leak going on that I couldn't get to in time before the living room gets flooded.

I had a sak where the small .2 micron filter on the line with the blue clamps leaked from the seam.   NxStage sent a mailer to pick up the sak, and I have never had that exact problem with another sak since - but I always check the lines for leaks a few minutes after starting a batch.

Oh no! Another thing (the micron filter) for me to check! lol  By the way, guess I really should go back and read the manual because...I keep the green clamp before the micron filter clamped while a batch is being made until I'm ready to "prime the line" for treatment. Not correct?? I gotta get out that darn manual!

The .2 micron filter I am referring to is on the purified waterline coming out of the PAK and used to fill the SAK - there is no green clamp before this filter.   The green clamp is before the chicken foot.   

[PrimeTimer]

We've started using SAK 402. Just taking one out of the box it felt different from the 302's we had been using. Can't put my finger on it but it's not necessarily bigger, longer or heavier but definitely felt "different". And then of course, the extra green dialysate line attached to the "chickenfoot" is strange and so is having 2 micron filters near the blue clamps and what also appears to be a "pressure pod" added. Once the batch was ready for use, I took a look inside the Pureflow tub and noticed the bag was all "ballooned up" bigtime, looking like it wanted to pop and with no room to spare. Maybe this is what Pod99966 was talking about. Wonder if all 400 series SAK's "balloon up" like that. ? By the way, SAK402 holds 60 liters.