Venous needle dislodgment is a dialysis complication that could turn deadly

December 20, 2023

Dialysis? Watch out for THIS lethal complication

Friend, if you’re on dialysis… NO ONE understands what you’re going through. 

It’s not just the CONSTANT appointments… 

Spending HOURS on end sitting in a chair… TETHERED to medical equipment…

In a facility that’s too often cold… and, quite frankly, FILTHY!

And then there’s the ENDLESS needle jabs. It can feel like you’re FOREVER getting stabbed in the arm!

That’s bad enough on its own…

But according to the latest news, it gets even WORSE.

Because there’s a dialysis complication that could turn DEADLY…

And although it’s considered RARE right now… you know how things like this get underreported…

And sometimes even SWEPT under the rug. 

Here’s what you need to know… in case it ever happens to you. 

It’s called venous needle dislodgment (VND)… and, just like it sounds, it involves a needle falling out of place during your dialysis session. 

Thing is, the dialysis machine is still pumping your blood OUT of your body… and filtering it as usual. 

But the filtered (or “cleaned”) blood ISN’T making it BACK into your body…

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Turning a routine visit into a BLOODBATH!

That’s right, it’s just a matter of time… even just a few minutes… before you could BLEED TO DEATH…

Unless someone catches it and is able to put the needle back in its proper place. 

Considering how UNDERSTAFFED dialysis centers are right now… the chances aren’t looking good for that. 

And home dialysis carries its own risks… as your caregiver may not know what to do…

And if you try to fix it yourself… you’re already IMPAIRED and possibly going into shock from the blood loss that’s already occurred.

According to a report published by KFF Health News, it’s estimated that one American dies EVERY WEEK from this complication…

Although because VND events aren’t recorded in any centralized database… we don’t really know exactly how often it’s happening. 

Whatever that number is… it’s TOO MANY! Especially when you consider VND is entirely PREVENTABLE. 

In Europe, dialysis machines have a “fail-safe” alarm that sounds if blood is lost… or automatically SHUTS OFF the pump. 

But in this country, the dialysis industry has REFUSED to implement those safety features.

And if a dialysis patient wanted to try it for themselves… the costs are NOT reimbursable by Medicare.

Fortunately, The European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/ European Renal Care Association has a few recommendations for MINIMIZING the risks of VND…

And while MOST of the responsibility is on the dialysis clinic itself… there are a few things you can monitor and COMPLAIN about if they’re not done properly. 

Make sure they CLEAN and DISINFECT your skin… and make sure it’s COMPLETELY dry… before taping any tubes down, which will help them stay more secure. 

They also need to allow plenty of SLACK in the bloodlines, to make sure they’re not PULLING on the needles. 

If you have excessive hair growth where they usually jab you… and tape down the bloodlines… consider shaving the area to give them a smoother surface to work with.

And DON’T cover up the needles or taped areas with a blanket, throw, or jacket… no matter HOW chilly you’re feeling. Make sure the taped-down bloodlines are visible at ALL TIMES.

Finally, if you suspect ANYTHING has gone wrong… SPEAK UP! Those who are MOST in the crosshairs for VND are those who keep quiet.

Now, these are all good strategies for making sure you SURVIVE a dislodgement event like this…

But I would be REMISS if I didn’t point out one way to make sure it doesn’t happen in the first place. 

Choose a dialysis center with a LOW staffing ratio – that is, how many patients each nurse or technician has to keep track of at any given time. 

The less they’re RUSHING OFF to tape up the next dialysis patient… the MORE likely they are to spend the proper amount of time getting you all set up…

And keeping their eye on you during your session. 

For better health, 

Dr. Marc S. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D.

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