Fresenius Medical Care North America’s (FMCNA) Renal Therapies Group recently announced the availability of the CombiSet Smartech. According to a company press release, this is the first available single-use bloodline with an integrated Crit-Line blood chamber (CLiC) that simplifies use by reducing the number of manual connections required. The CLiC blood chamber is built into the bloodline itself and is designed to provide optimal performance with the 2008 series haemodialysis machines.
Crit-Line technology is designed to continuously monitor the percent change in blood volume, plasma refill, oxygen saturation and other key parameters during the haemodialysis treatment. This data can guide the clinician to intervene, if necessary, by adjusting the ultrafiltration rates to provide a more effective dialysis treatment. Fluid overload, or hypervolemia, is a common complication of kidney disease, particularly in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on haemodialysis. It is often associated with adverse outcomes including hypertension, exacerbation of congestive heart failure, and increased risk of death, the press release notes.
“By combining these two components into one bloodline, we are simplifying the set-up process which will hopefully encourage increased use of Crit-Line technology,” said Mike Anger, SVP and chief medical officer for FMCNA’s Renal Therapies Group. “This new bloodline is designed to make fluid management even easier, providing insights that can help better manage the fluid status of dialysis patients.”
Fresenius Medical Care claims that the CombiSet Smartech offers key advantages when providing haemodialysis to patients in outpatient or acute settings:
- Increased ease of use: Less product to manage at point of care; less inventory to maintain.
- Fewer connections: The new integrated bloodline line has only one connection, eliminating the need for additional components and simplifying the connection process.
“This introduction of this new bloodline is part of our commitment to bring innovations to market that improve patient care, making the dialysis process simpler and safer for our patients,” said Pat McCarthy, SVP of FMCNA’s Renal Therapies Group. “This new integrated system is a step forward within our already trusted and reliable bloodline product offerings.”
