The reuse of elements of the hemodialysis process tipifies the assistance to patients who suffer from chronic renal failures at the hospital Comandante Pinares of San Cristobal municipality, which shows the lowest mortality rate in Cuba on that disease.

At that center dialyzers are reused, a technique which was first applied in 1961 in North America, and three years ago Cuba started its application at this hospital, hence its success has been ratified in medical and economic advantages.

Broadly speaking, this method involves almost all the factors of hemodialisys based on the inviolable principle that states the material is exclusively for a same patient.

According to some documents by Doctor Orosman Cuesta, a patient in the United States receives 20 reuses per hollow fiber while in our center the figure per patient is of 30 times, showing the lowest mortality rate in the country, mostly attributed to the biocompatibility caused by the proteines of the same blood.

Among the requirements to apply the technique, the especialist notes the chemical quality of the water used to sterilize capillary fibers, whose purchase costs 1,8 million dollars to the country; also the skills of the staff in charge and the prohibition of reprocessing dialyzers that carry hepatitis B.

The expert concluded that although this practice is mainly to achieve better economic results, there are no substantial evidences to state differences between the morbidity and mortality of a single use and reuse.

Inaugurated by Fidel 25 years ago, the hospital Comandante Pinares, with 440 beds, gives assistance in over 20 medical specialties and has been awarded best moral staff for four years.


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