Weekly artificial kidney: personal monitor with cartridge re-use.

Abstract

Cartridge re-use is now successful in centre and home haemodialysis. The economic advantage of re-use is remarkable even in the case of a single re-use. However, hepatitis and pyrogenic reactions may follow re-use and are a source of possible contamination. The problem of storing sterilised cartridges also arises. In order to reduce the work load and simplify preparation and re-use the authors have developed a simple 'personal monitor' that permits automatic recovery of the cartridge and eliminates handling. In our unit this 'personal monitor' has been used for 14 months without complications and with considerable saving. By using the same cartridge three times for each patient, the aim of a 'weekly kidney' has been achieved.