Hi all,
I am getting two blood leak alarms from Anza Care in a couple of days. I was wondering if anyone had any pictures of how to tape the two alarms - one for the needle sites and one below the dialyzers.
Thanks!
Kamal
Maybe no one has pictures. But can someone advise me on how to tape the sensors? The one that is meant for the needles - where do you tape them? The key is to place it so that blood from either site should be able to touch the sensor right? Do you tape it on the side of the arm? What if blood drips down the other side?
Also, the one below the dialyzer - do you put this below the dialyzer on the ground or do you tape it to the dialyzer at the bottom?
Some pointers would really help. Thanks!
Kamal
Hi Kamal,
My nurses in our home program are so new to nocturnal txs that they only gave me half an explanation on taping the sensor. They told me it goes on the art site. I did wonder why none was needed for the ven site, but they didn’t say. Well I had a big problem when it came to getting off the tx, because the sensor was stuck to a gauze pad that I put over the needle wings and it hurt to loosen it so i could pull the needle out. I would just pull out the sensor stuck to the needle. This hurt, because as you know, you don’t want anything stuck to your needle tugging at the needle.
I decided, in my case, that I didn’t even need the sensor as since I use Tegaderms over each site, the needles do not move. I consider Tegaderms to be the best product and see no need for the sensor since the object is for the needle not to come out. I have watched the needle for 1 1/2 yrs and the needle does not move one single fraction of an inch, so I am confident I don’t need the sensor. Actually, I think there could be more problems with a needle slipping out as the sensor being stuck to it could cause the needle to slip out.
Possibly there are other taping methods for the sensor that don’t cause problems. I will ask around. But, I have had no fear whatsoever that a needle is going to leak blood or slip out entirely with the method I use. The sensor they gave me also has a 10 in. thin wire that is attached to it that I found got tangled up when I turned in my sleep. I could of attached it to my shirt, but the whole thing was just a nuisance and would cause me stress as I felt I had to check it and make sure it wasn’t getting tangled up or pulling on the sensor etc. So, when I get a chance I will check and see if anyone has a better method. There has not been too much posted about this on the net as most patients do short txs and don’t require a sensor.
Thanks so much for your response Jane! I cant use tegaderms because my needles are at a huge angle - the arterial is almost vertical. My fistula is a weird beast compared to others, you see!
Kamal
That’s odd that they’d tell you to put a sensor only the arterial site, Jane, because–if I recall correctly–if arterial pressure drops (as in, there’s a leak in that part of the blood circuit), the arterial pressure alarm on the machine will sound. But there is NO alarm on the machine that will detect a drop in venous pressure. This is why some people have had severe bleeds in the dialysis clinic when a venous needle slips out or the connection comes apart–and why it is dangerous to cover up an access in-center. So, I would think if you can only put a sensor on one site, it would be the venous site you’d want to do. Ask Dr. A to be sure of this, but that’s where my money would go.