The reuse of hollow fiber dialyzers. A preliminary report
Liao, L.T.; Xu, Y.Z.; Cai, Z.H.; Cai, Y.D.; Zhou, F.Q.; Dai, F.X.
Chinese Medical Journal 98(7): 485-488
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0366-6999 PMID: 3932010 Document Number: 258997
A simple, efficient and safe method for the reuse or hollow fiber dialyzers by manual procedure is introduced. 697 dialyses were performed using 57 reused dialyzers,a mean 12.2 .+-. 10.0 times each. Among the 57, 44 were Filtryzer B1 used for 616 tmes (88.4%). Two thirds of the dialyzers were reused for more than 10 times (11-53). The efficacy in removing BUN, creatinine and MMs appeared to be related more closely with the residual fiber bundle volume of the reused dialyzer rather than the number or usages. A hollow fiber dialyzer should be discarded when its residual volume falls by 20%, not the 15% usually adopted. This change has been suggested because of our inadequate supply of dialytic devices. Deterioration of reused dialyzer efficacy may be compensated by prolongation of each dialysis. No pyrogenic reactions, infections, formalin intoxication, acidosis, pulmonary embolism or lupoid syndrome was encountered clinically in this series. Further laboratory studies are required for reuse of HF dialyzers.