Bayhealth Medical Center first in US to use blood-loss detection device for hemodialysis
OCTOBER 2, 2008 -- Redsense Medical (Stockholm, Sweden) has received its first US order. Bayhealth Medical Center, southern Delaware's largest hospital, will start using Redsense's blood-loss detection device for dialysis, during which blood is drawn from the patient, cleaned, and returned to the body via the venous needle. When the needle becomes dislodged, the dialysis machine continues to draw blood without returning it, and serious--even fatal—consequences occur within minutes. The Redsense device consists of a sensor patch and an alarm unit: It transmits an infrared signal to the sensor patch through a fiber optic cable. In the event of bleeding, inner layers of the patch smear blood over the optical sensor, which triggers the alarm.
According to dialysis nurse manager Karen Palmer, RN, of Bayhealth Medical Center, dialysis machines do not alarm with venous needle dislodgement due to the pressure in the needle with the flow of blood. "This can be very dangerous, and it is not the best of feeling when you attempt to protect and care for patients in the safest way. I have been researching for a couple of years to find a solution that puts your mind at ease when performing all treatments, especially with individuals who may be restless, confused or who have a potential for back pressure in their access," she said.
Redsense is the first clinically tested monitoring system for venous needle dislodgement in hemodialysis. There are approximagely 1.7 million dialysis patients worldwide who are given more than 200 million dialysis treatments every year. The market is increasing due to an ageing population and the rise of diseases such as type II diabetes.
Redsense Medical is currently in contact with dialysis providers as well as equipment manufacturers in the US.