This is an update on a quality issue affecting CADD Solis Flowstop cassettes, which are used by around 100 UK pulmonary hypertension patients prescribed intravenous epoprostenol.
The cassettes are required by patients using the CADD Solis pump. Patients using the CADD Legacy pump are not affected.
The manufacturers, Smiths Medical, have identified that certain batches of ‘flow-stop’ cassettes may be faulty. Smiths have asked the PH centres and all the homecare delivery companies to check their shelves for faulty batches so that they can be removed from service and exchanged for new ones.
If your homecare company has had any of the defective cassettes, they will be in touch with you so you can also check the batch numbers on your cassettes at home. If you do not have a call from your homecare company about this, please be reassured that none of the cassettes you have are faulty.
You should always hold an additional ‘buffer’ supply of two weeks of all your consumables (e.g lines, bungs, dressings, wipes etc) at home. This is really important just in case at any time, there are any problems with any of the consumables you have.
Clinical PH services and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA UK) are working hard with the manufacturer, homecare delivery companies and government agencies at the highest level, to try to get these quality issues resolved as quickly and safely as possible.
NHS England and as always, the UK’s specialist centres are working together so that a collaborative solution can be found.
If you have any queries about your current stock of cassettes, please contact your homecare delivery company urgently. Please do not contact your specialist centre as their stock is needed for patients in hospital.
The PHA UK will continue to provide updates via this web page and on our social media channels.
