The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a disruption in the supply of hemodialysis bloodlines—a critical component in dialysis machines—and expects the shortage to continue until early fall 2025 due to recent supplier issues.
Hemodialysis bloodlines are a set of tubes that connect a patient’s bloodstream to the dialysis machine during treatment.
This statement follows a January announcement by medical device manufacturer B. Braun, which cited supply and labor constraints that have disrupted the production of certain hemodialysis bloodlines. The company also warned that its inventory is expected to be depleted by January 20.
The FDA has advised healthcare providers to conserve bloodlines whenever possible, and noted that it is closely monitoring the situation while working with manufacturers and dialysis providers to minimize the impact on patients.
