Dialysis Machine Tried To Drown Me Today! :(

[Paul]

So, you know how the HD machines drain fluid out of you by osmosis, then dump the liquid they got out of you plus the dialysis fluid down the drain? Well mine had other ideas today.

It has been leaking ever since I ended up in the corner, but today it decided to go the whole hog and dump the entire lot under and around my chair/bed thing. Lying on my back I did not notice this. Near the end of the session the cleaner came round to do the floors, looked at the floor and exclaimed that it had flooded, I took no notice because it has always leaked a bit and I assumed she meant that. Then she picked up my shoes to move them out of the water, and they were dripping wet. Still I assumed this was just the standard leak, got a bit worse.

The cleaner disappeared and returned a couple of minutes later with the manager who made angry and distressed noises. This looked serious enough for me to squiggle over in the chair and see for myself (as you know, not easy during dialysis). I don't know how much liquid the machine had taken out of me (they are having problems, and keep changing it), but the floor was flooded. I was on a little chair/bed thing island, lost in an ocean of dialysis fluid and my own body liquid. They had not finished mopping it up when it was time for me to come off, so the manager pulled the bed/chair thing some way across the clinic to find a dry place for me to get out (health and safety)

That machine has been playing up since I first started using it. Bleeping all the time, clotting when I go to the toilet, breaking down part way through dialysis, etc. I think the machine hates me, and I think this was a deliberate attempt by the machine to drown me.

Monday I think I'll take water wings and a float to dialysis with me.

[Simon Dog]

It is even worse when blood pools under your chair and nobody notices.

[Jean]

Maybe you should bring the machine some treats ( or something). OR, insist on being attached to a different one???

[Marilee]

When the drain bags leaked for the second time, flooding our PD area (thank goodness we set it up on tiled floors), we got a big, plastic kitty-litter box to house the drain bags in future so that when they leak, no worries.

Maybe you need to show up next time wearing galoshes 

[Paul]

Maybe you need to show up next time wearing galoshes

I did threaten to bring a boat to dialysis on Monday.

[Marilee]

Perhaps a Rubber Ducky!

[MooseMom]

My ancient mechanic always told me that cars run better if you've named them.  Perhaps your dialysis machine just needs a name. 

[GA_DAWG]

How could they allow it to get so bad? Our techs monitor the machines much too close for that to happen, and despite having machines that record the half hour vitals, they must acknowledge them on each machine.

[Riki]

In our unit, if a machine was to leak, even just a little bit, it would be pulled from service until it was repaired.

That being said, my unit uses the old Gambro Phoenix machines.  They are going to be phased out over the next 2 weeks, for brand new Fresenius machines.

[Michael Murphy]

in the unit I am  using in the last 5 years there have been maybe 5 or 6 major flooding issues.in every case it was not a fault in the machine but the output hose is stuck down a drain to facilitate the quick changing of the machines in case of failure. moving a system or more likely kicking he hose can cause this to happen, a bucket water, Clorox, mop, and a wet vac its all gone.  what worries me is when the  return line pops out and sprays blood all over the place.  it looks like a cartoon of a fire hose.  we used to have a patient who moved his fistula line arm like he was conducting a band.  now this is a emergency.  staff  needs to close curtains to contain spray, shut down the machine before the patient bleeds out.  when this happens it look like a silent movie fire drill.

[Paul]

How could they allow it to get so bad? Our techs monitor the machines much too close for that to happen

I was actually quite surprised too. During the session the nurse flushed my cannula, and at one point my BP went low so I was tested every few minutes for a while. During those times the nurses had to have been paddling in the water without noticing it!

[Whamo]

   I use a big plastic box to put my drain bags in case of a malfunction.  Even when you clamp the lines the bags find a way to leak sometimes.

[Paul]

The machine at the clinic is supposed to dump it directly into the local sewage system, so no drain bag required. Unfortunately on this occasion it confused the local sewage system with the clinic floor.

[Paul]

My ancient mechanic always told me that cars run better if you've named them.  Perhaps your dialysis machine just needs a name.

Considered naming it Apita. That is an acronym for "A Pain In The Ass".

[Paul]

Considered naming it Apita. That is an acronym for "A Pain In The Ass".

Confucius say "Man who thinks dialysis is a pain in the ass has fistula in very unusual place."

[GA_DAWG]

Now that is funny no matter who you are.