Redsense included in NHS Oxford University Hospitals’ patient safety guidelines
Oxford University Hospitals (OUH), one of the largest hospitals in Europe and a foundation trust within the National Health Service (NHS), the public healthcare system of the UK, has now included Redsense in their safety guidelines and in the patient information directed to patients on dialysis treatment about the danger of venous needle dislodgement and how to make precautions against it. OUH has over one million patient contacts each year and the trust maintains two hospital units and five satellite units for dialysis treatment of patients.
Hemodialysis is performed by attaching an arterial needle and a venous needle to the body, so that the blood can leave the patient’s body through the arterial needle and then be returned via the venous needle after passing it through the dialysis machine to be cleaned. Venous Needle Dislodgement is when the venous needle falls out during dialysis, which can happen if it is accidentally pulled or if it is not taped in place correctly. This is a highly dangerous situation that quickly may become life-threatening if it is not detected and corrected immediately, since the pump-controlled blood flow out of the body then continues without a mean to return the blood to the patient.
The new patient guide includes information about the Redsense system in a section about how Venous Needle Dislodgement can be prevented in home hemodialysis settings, explaining that the equipment will be provided by the dialysis nurse:
”If you are doing solo dialysis your dialysis nurse will give you a machine called ‘Redsense’. This machine has a small sensor, which is placed directly over your needle site. If blood leaks from the needle site onto the sensor the machine will alarm, to let you know there is a problem,” the leaflet states.
“The decision by the NHS Foundation Trust Oxford University Hospitals to incorporate Redsense as a precautionary measure against Venous Needle Dislodgement and include it in their patient information is a very important acknowledgement that we are approaching our goal of having the Redsense system established as a standard safety component and part of the general protocol for treatment, in particular in home hemodialysis; we have dedicated a lot of effort to raise awareness of how the Redsense alarm brings benefits with regard to both patient safety and cost-efficiency, and it is very gratifying to see that the message is being received and adopted by major health service providers such as the OUH,” says Patrik Byhmer, CEO of Redsense Medical AB: “With more than 250,000 treatments with the Redsense system conducted yearly, we are truly making a difference for patients around the world.”
Hemodialysis is a treatment that shows an annual growth rate of about 6 percent globally, and Redsense’s primary market segment, home dialysis and patients at risk, is projected to grow even faster. The Company aims to establish the Redsense solution as a standard safety measure in hemodialysis treatment. Redsense’s product has enormous potential to save lives since more than 2,000 needle dislodgements occur every day.
The Redsense system consists of an alarm unit, an optic extension fiber and a non invasive sensor patch. The sensor patch is placed over the blood access point, and immediately reacts to blood leakage by detecting blood coming in contact with the sensor. The sensor then triggers a visual and audible alarm to alert the patient and caregivers of the situation. Redsense currently offers sensor patches for both the venous needle and the catheter luerlock.
The patient guide leaflet that includes mention of Redsense can be found here: “Venous Needle Dislodgement – Information for Patients”.
For more information, please contact:
Patrik Byhmer, CEO Redsense Medical AB (publ)
Phone: +46 35 10 60 30
ABOUT REDSENSE MEDICAL
Redsense Medical is a corporate group with operations mainly in Europe and the United States. The company has developed the Redsense System, an innovationused for monitoring and alarm in the case of blood leakage in connection with a hemodialysis treatment. Redsense Medical solves one of the most serious remaining safety problems within hemodialysis – to quickly detect Venous Needle Dislodgement and catheter leakage to minimize blood leakage. The system consists of a patented fiber optic sensor, designed for either venous needle or central venous catheter, which is connected to an alarm unit. From the very start, the development of the company's technology has been based on the demands and safety requirements of healthcare providers in the dialysis sector.