DIALYZER REUSE - AN AUTOMATED-SYSTEM USING PERACETIC-ACID

For 3 years starting in April. 1989, in a 17-station, in-centre haemod ialysis unit at the Toronto Western Hospital, re-use of dialysers was performed using the Renatron-2 Dialyser Reprocessing System with perac etic acid as a sterilant. During this period 40,234 treatments were ca rried out and dialysers were used an average of 4.2 times. Net savings , after faking into account the total costs of re-use, averaged Can $3 09,000.000 per year. There were no deaths and no discernible morbidity attributable to the practice of re-use. We conclude that dialyzer re- use is an effective way to reduce the costs of haemodialysis and is en tirely safe providing that it is carried out properly.