Reusable dialyzers

[Joe Paul]

I have a question, how is the dialyzer cleaning done? Are the chemicals recycled, or dumped after each cleaning? I am curious because of the HIV patient mentioned above being on re-use.

[plugger]

This discussion did get me wondering what kind of reactions there are to the cleaning agents so I googled "renalin reaction" and did find this:

"The second and potentially more dangerous type of reaction is one of anaphylaxis. This is an allergic reaction mediated by an antigen antibody complex. Clinically these tend to occur within five minutes of the initation of dialysis and the symptoms may include a burning sensation at the access site, shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing, localized edema, flushing, itching, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and hypotension. Like anaphyactic reaction it can lead to respiratory insufficiency, shock and death. These reactions may be due to the artifical membrane itself, ethylene oxide (commonly used for dialyzer sterilization), agents used for reuse (these are substances used to clean and sterilize the artifical kidney in order to allow it to be used more than one time, and include bleach, formaldehyde and renalin) and medications used in the dialysis procedure (particulary heparin, an anticoagulant almost universally used for anticoagulation of the blood prior to starting dialysis)."

http://www.medquestltd.com/articles/article9.html

[Krisna]

My center did away with the reuse program not long ago.  They switched to one kind of dialyzer and we get a new one each time.  They did away with reuse some time before moving to the new center.  When they had it though they would reuse them until the sterilization machine failed it.  It's been a while since I had to look at my dialyzer to verify it was mine but I think the average was abt 25 uses and the limit was 30.  But then I never really paid much attention to that.  We had to check the name and verify that it had passed and then initial it was ours.  Now we don't have to do that because it's new every time. 

We have computerized machines and computers that are linked to them.  All info is transferred automatically from one to the other.  The coolest part is the blood pressures are transferred automatically.  My doctor is also linked to the computer system so he knows if I have trouble with treatments.  I think they use something other than formaldehyde to sterilize the machines.