Dialyzer reprocessing using heat. Scientific and technical considerations

Reprocessing of used dialyzers with chemical disinfectants is practiced commonly in the United States and in some areas of Western Europe. Concern over residual toxic or allergenic agents has encouraged the search for other practical methods to disinfect or sterilize used hemodialyzers. The use of moist heat has been proposed as an attractive alternative to chemical disinfection, as the effectiveness of moist heat in inactivating microorganisms is well established and, inherently, should be less toxic than chemical means. However, despite the initial appeal of heat reprocessing, validation and maintenance procedures necessary to ensure a reproducible heat cycle are likely to be burdensome with the currently available hardware. This paper discusses the potential requirements for and barriers to implementation of a dialyzer reprocessing system using heat.