I'm a master primer!

Over the last few days I've been priming like crazy!

To the uninitiated, priming is the procedure of removing air and formalin from the dialysis tubings before actually starting dialysis.

Many people do not reuse dialysers and tubings. Most people in India usually do. After a dialysis treatment is completed, the dialyser and tubings are cleaned with water, bleach and formalin and reused. I reuse the dialyser and tubings for 6 nightly treatments.

So, before a treatment starts, the dialyser and tubings have to be drained of all the formalin and any air that might be there.

I have slowly learned that procedure and do it myself these days.

So, now I do the priming and I do the cannulation. The only thing I need to learn in the pre dialysis procedures is the part where the tubings are connected to the needles. I can then actually start dialysis myself!

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