For Clinicians
Venous Needle Dislodgement and patient safety
Hemotek understands that patient safety during dialysis is a major concern of nephrology health care providers worldwide. Venous Needle Dislodgment (VND), or accidental removal of the needle delivering blood back to the body from the dialysis machine is a relatively rare event but a constant safety threat that many clinicians say is underreported. Serious hemoragghic injury/shock or even death can occur if VND goes undetected for more than a few minutes minutes. While clinicians can take some comfort that every dialysis machine has computerized auto-shut off algorithms to protect patients against VND, they need to know that there are some subtle variations in pressure during dislodgement that make it very difficult for the shut-off algorithms to detect VND, therefore, they frequently do not detect VND. More alarming, the subtle rise in hemodialysis blood flow rates over the last 20 years means that each VND episode is more dangerous than ever.
Some patients are particularly at risk
One class of patients is particularly at risk for VND. Confused patients, senile patients and those patients with decreased mental capacity have a much higher probability of purposely or inadvertently removing their lines. This class of patients would greatly benefit from technologies designed to offer immediate protection from venous needle dislodgement. Such protection will provide peace of mind to patients and providers alike.
US Renal Physicians Association survey suggests VND is more common than previously thought
While documented incidences of VND are low, a full 5% of patients surveyed by the US Renal Physician's Society report having a needle dislodgement occur at least once in their last 30 days of treatment. More than half of all dialysis nurses report seeing a VND in their clinic.
Hemotek's solution: the V Needle
To reduce patient risk from VND, Hemotek has invented the V Needle, a fast-acting, needle-based solution that quickly and immediately stops blood flow by triggering the hemodialysis machine to shut off during a VND event.
Advantages:
- Patient peace of mind
- Enhances home hemodialysis safety
- Reduces clinic liability
- Cost effective
- No impact to standard clinical workflow
- Little to no training required
- No electronics or software
- No batteries required
- No additional monitoring unit required
- Total mechanical solution
- Simple to implement
- Disposable
- Integrated solution (detects VND and shuts off machine)
- Elegantly simple
- Cost effective
The V Needle is not yet FDA Approved and is not yet available for sale.