| Author | Subject: warning about Fresenius PD supplies |
| Connie McDonald | Posted At 10:48:29 01/02/2002 I just wanted to let people know that Fresenius Medical Company's solution bags for periteneal dialysis have some problems. I have been on dialysis with Baxter supplies for over 4 years and have never developed peretinitis. After switching to Fresenius for 2 weeks, I developed peretinitis. The problem was that the bags seem to have a high incidence of defects (3 defective bags in 2 weeks time). The main problem is that the breakage point can sometimes be "broken" before you start the infusion allowing biologics inside the bag. For anyone who is using this equipment, watch out for this. It isn't visible to the eye. A little leak will start at the breakage point, but it won't be noticeable until you start the infusion and end up with a puddle. |
| Connie McDonald | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 1 replies) Posted At 23:10:17 01/11/2002 Just an update. I was admitted to the hospital on December 29th for peritinitis and have been treated for nearly two weeks with the infection finally starting to clear a few days ago. While at the hospital, I found another defective bag. Again, the leak was at the breakage point and not visible to the naked eye until after the infusion. So far, I have found leaks at the middle junction of the tubing and at the breakage point. Starting next week, I will be reverting to Baxter supplies. --- Fayetteville, NC |
| Dori Schatell | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 16:46:21 01/21/2002 Hi Connie, Thank you for posting your experiences with Fresenius PD supplies. I'm sorry to hear that you have had problems with peritonitis. Of course, it is hard to tell whether the bag problems you had are local in your area or are more widespread. But it sounds as if you are taking steps to fix the situation, and I hope it works out better for you. |
| D DUNNILL | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 09:27:19 01/27/2002 Hi Connie, I have had the same problems twice this month and 6 times since Easter Last year. I have changed over to Baxter now. Have you talked to the Fresenius If so did you get any satisfaction or explaination. Has anyone else contacted you that has had the problem. |
| Connie McDonald | Re: Dunnill (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 17:13:18 01/30/2002 Yes,Dave D had the same problem and went back to Baxter also. No satisfaction but have to keep quiet around my clinic-Doctor said I will scare other patients. If anyone needs help I will. Connie |
| Connie McDonald | Extra, extra! (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 11:36:35 01/31/2002 Anyone who had medical supply deficiency that were life threating should inform the FDA at www.fda.gov with detailed description. |
| Paula | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 00:15:03 04/04/2002 Hello, My mother has been using Baxter for the past 7 years. Now, her PD dialysis clinic owned by Fresenius is harassing her to switch to the Fresenius product. Does you have freedom of choice. My mom's kidney doctor, who is the director of the clinic, introduced her to Baxter because of her problems with her hands. The Fresenius clinic has kept her on the Baxter product for the past 7 years. They claim Baxter is too expensive and they are loosing money. What can I do? God bless, |
| Connie McDonald | Re: Paula (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 14:46:05 04/08/2002 You do have the right to choose. Talk to your Baxter representative for your area and they can tell you the rules. Connie |
| Connie McDonald | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 15:03:30 04/08/2002 Paula, you do have the right to choose. Talk to your Baxter representative for your area and they can tell you the rules. Connie |
| Connie McDonald | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 15:04:55 04/08/2002 Paula, you do have the right to choose. Talk to your Baxter representative for your area and they can tell you the rules. Connie |
| Connie McDonald | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 15:11:17 04/08/2002 Paula, You do have the right to choose. Talk to your Baxter representative for your area and they can tell you the rules. Best wishes, |
| Jim Wilson | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 04:53:36 01/24/2003 Good Morning, I have just rec'd notice that our clinic is switching to Fresenius products next month our son jim (20 yr old student) is currently using Baxter would like to remain with Baxter, having heard many stories about Fresenius. If anyone has a idea on how to prevent his have to switch please e-mail me @ jwilson1@twcny.rr.com Thanks, Jim Wilson Sr. |
| Beth Witten | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 23:52:20 01/27/2003 I can understand how stressful it is for you and your son to think about switching from one supplier to another. We are all creatures of habit and most of us don't like any change, much less one that involves a necessary medical treatment. To be more comfortable about whatever happens, you and your son need more information. 1) Ask your son's nephrologist about the change in suppliers and whether it's possible for your son to keep his Baxter supplies. 2) If he cannot keep Baxter supplies, ask how he can contact the same Fresenius representative he (or you) would be talking with regularly. 3) Ask the Fresenius representative if there's a patient in your area who could talk with both of you (and maybe the other patients in the clinic who may be fearful too) about their experience with Fresenius supplies, delivery, etc. I suspect with the change of supplies and supplier, the clinic will need to provide a brief training. However, if your son uses the cycler and you're concerned about how the new one will work in your home and whether he'll be able to figure out how to use it, it might help to see what the Fresenius cycler looks like and how it operates now. To learn more about Fresenius, you can look at their web site at www.fmcna.com. If the clinic is changing everyone because they have a contract now with Fresenius and your son doesn't want to change suppliers for PD, his only option may be to change clinics and possibly nephrologists. Before he makes this kind of radical change, I'd suggest that he allow himself some time to really check out the new equipment and supplies. You both may find out that they're better than you think. |
| Connie McDonald | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 1 replies) Posted At 15:17:43 04/27/2003 A update for a year and half later: I'm doing HD now because I could not do CAPD Nor CCPD anymore. And there isn't anyone single patient in my center who use Fresenius CAPD bags had last 2 years without getting peretinitis. Connie |
| Becky Lodef | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 17:15:23 07/21/2003 I am a nurse and have had a transplant it rejected after 7 years. I am now on dialysis. I started on CCCPD and was doing great for 1 year then I started having peritonitis. They determined that the catheter was the source of infection so they removed it. I was on HD for several months to make sure the infection was cleared. Then they put in another PD catheter. I did well for about 6 months then started showing signs of peritonitis again, the only difference was that none of the cultures showed bacteria just inflammation. I developed a hernia (incisional) and it was repaired. We thought that the pocket formed from the hernia may have been the problem. While I was healing from the surgery, I was on HD,but the PD catheter remained in place. I didn't have any problems even when I started irrigation on the cathetere. But as soon as I started back on regular PD, I started having the same symptoms of infection (cloudy effluent drainage, abdominal pain, fever) We again did cultures with no growth. The MDs determined that I had a tunnel infection around the catheter even though I had no pain along the catheter. They removed it, I requested they do a culture of the catheter and the removal site. All of those areas were negative as well. I just happen to be on Fresenius products as well. I noticed moisture in several bags and just chocked it up to condensation. I noticed some discoloration of the 4.25% bags and just chocked it up to the stronger solution, but it was a little darker after it was warmed. Could the be some contaminant in the solutions that causes an inflammation response when I am on a regular scheduled PD? I don't know if you can build up a hypersensitivity to the products or maybe the contaminant itself. I do know that I would rather be on PD than HD and would like to know how to go about getting the answers to my questions. I was a HD charge nurse at the same center I am now being dialysed so I do know about the differences. I have been on both sides.Can some one give me some direction? |
| Becky Lodef | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 17:20:06 07/21/2003 I am a nurse and have had a transplant it rejected after 7 years. I am now on dialysis. I started on CCCPD and was doing great for 1 year then I started having peritonitis. They determined that the catheter was the source of infection so they removed it. I was on HD for several months to make sure the infection was cleared. Then they put in another PD catheter. I did well for about 6 months then started showing signs of peritonitis again, the only difference was that none of the cultures showed bacteria just inflammation. I developed a hernia (incisional) and it was repaired. We thought that the pocket formed from the hernia may have been the problem. While I was healing from the surgery, I was on HD,but the PD catheter remained in place. I didn't have any problems even when I started irrigation on the catheter. But as soon as I started back on regular PD, I started having the same symptoms of infection (cloudy effluent drainage, abdominal pain, fever) We again did cultures with no growth. The MDs determined that I had a tunnel infection around the catheter even though I had no pain along the catheter. They removed it, I requested they do a culture of the catheter and the removal site. All of those areas were negative as well. I just happen to be on Fresenius products as well. I noticed moisture in several bags and just chocked it up to condensation. I noticed some discoloration of the 4.25% bags and just chocked it up to the stronger solution, but it was a little darker after it was warmed. Could there be some contaminant in the solutions that causes an inflammation response when I am on a regular scheduled PD? I don't know if you can build up a hypersensitivity to the products or maybe the contaminant itself. I do know that I would rather be on PD than HD and would like to know how to go about getting the answers to my questions. I was a HD charge nurse at the same center I am now being dialysed so I do know about the differences. I have been on both sides.Can some one give me some direction? |
| Beth Witten | Re: warning about Fresenius PD supplies (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 14:48:25 07/28/2003 I asked some PD nurses who say they haven't heard of specific problems related to Fresenius supplies. I also checked on the FDA web site to see if there have been reports of problems with the PD solution and didn't see any. Here are some possible suggestions to discuss with your nurse/doctor: * What are all possible reasons (problems with your technique, bag contamination, chemical peritonitis, tunnel infection, vents near your CCPD machine in your home, pets, allergies to the bag or solution, etc.) why you might be having the problems you've experienced? * Have any other patients at the clinic had similar problems? * Should you bring bags with moisture around them or bags with solution that changes color on heating be in for testing rather than using them? You probably order supplies from a customer service rep at Fresenius. You can talk with this person or ask to speak to the nurse expert at Fresenius. Describe what has happened as you described here with what you've observed, your symptoms, and what your clinic has done so far. Explain that you'd like to stay on PD if possible. Here are some possible things to ask: * Have they heard of situations like you've described (moisture around bags, 4.25% solution that changes color after heating, problems with no growth peritonitis) * What from a manufacturing or supplying standpoint could lead patients to develop peritonitis? * Can they suggest anything you could ask your nurse/doctor to follow up on related to your concerns so you can stay on PD? Good luck! |