NxStage particulars

HemoHelper,

Because my wife is 78 and has several health issues beyond ESRD I want to wait until there is more long term evidence before completely switching machines. Our risk tolerance is necessarily lower than it might be for most people.

Mel

Thank you for your answers, Mel. A few more questions are, are the lines longer with the nocturnal cartridge than with the SDD cartridge and what does the heparin pump look like…how sizeable? Re cost, wouldn’t more therapy fluid be used with nocturnal than SDD?

Jane,

Lines are the same – only difference in the artridges is that there is a heparin line just before the filter. Heparin pump mounts on pole below bags. Most IV pumps will work. Same amount of dialysate is used – you just run a lot slower (assuming the new 171B fixes the #14 alarm problem).

Mel

Again, thanks Mel. One last thing. If you are using 30 liters of therapy fluid, is that the same amount you used for SDD? Sounds like a lot? Is it that you must use that much to get the rate you need to avoid the #14 alarm?

Mel,
Just read over your posts and saw where you said you were using 20L for SDD and had to go to 30L for nocturnal due to the alrm situation. Now that is a cost increase. With the new cartridge, should you be able to go back to using 20 L for nocturnal?