ALARMS IN HEMODIALYSIS MACHINES
1. Arterial pressure.
2. Venous pressure.
3. Air bubble detector.
4. TMP.
5. Temperature.
6. Conductivity.
7. Blood leak monitor.
Arterial pressure-Decreased:
Kinked in arterial line.
Clamp in arterial line.
Low blood flow from access.
Arterial needle mal positioned.
Needle clotted.
Wet transducer protector.
Catheter clotted.
Small arterial needle.
Stenosis of arterial anastomosis.
Hypotension/vasoconstriction.
Arterial pressure-Increased:[pre-pump]
Blood line separation.
Blood leak between the patient and monitoring site.
Low blood pump speed.
Infusion of saline or medications.
Arterial pressure-Decreased:[post-pump]
Clotted dialysis/circuit.
Poor placement of venous needle or catheter.
Rise in BFR.
Kink blood tubing.
Clamped blood tubing.
Decreased venous pressure:
Low blood flow rate from fistula.
Clotted arterial blood tubing.
Clotted dialysis.
Kink arterial blood tubing.
Clamped arterial blood tubing.
Low blood pump speed.
Increased venous pressure:
Venous blood tubing kinked.
Clamped venous blood tubing /line.
Needle extraressation.
Clotted venous line.
Clotted venous needle.
Wet transducer protector.
Small venous needle.
Stenosis of venous side of access.
Air bubble detector:
Air in the venous drip chamber.
Arterial transducer protector not secure.
Improper priming.
Leak or break in circuit.
Low flow from access.
Loose connection of access to blood tubing.
Unattended IV fluids.
Increased TMP:
Very high UF rate.
Clotted dialysis membrane.
Wet venous transducer protector.
Low flux dialysis.
Decreased TMP:
Lower UFR.
High flux dialysis.
Membrane rupture.
Blood volume monitor.
Blood temperature monitor.
Dialysis temperature:
Normal dialysate temp=>35°c-38°c.
Dialysate temp<35°c causes shivering.
Dialysate temp>42°c causes hemolysis.
Conductivity:
Amount of electricity current conducted through a dialysate.
Reflects electrolyte concentration.
A constant voltage is applied across electrodes 1 cm apart in the dialysate flow.
If the concentration of electrolyte changes the voltage will change.
Conductivity can be affected by temperature or conductivity of acid to base.
Alarms will stop dialysate flow.
