Canaud Apology

I thought your readers would be interested in a follow up to my letter to you of May 6th concerning the Canaud report (1) on the deaths associated with the "Dialyser Repair Syndrome" (2) caused by the Althane series of Baxter dialysers in which failure to remove the leaking fiber identifying fluid, perfluorocarbon PF5070 (3M company), resulted in massive pulmonary embolus formation and death in over 50 patients world wide.

In the September 2002 issue of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation (3) a letter is published by Dr Canaud apologising to those who may have been offended inadvertantly by his report, and stating that it was not his intention to accuse any persons, care givers or organisations of being responsible for the patients' injuries.

Furthermore, he states that although the panel of experts (self styled as The European Experts Panel consisting of Drs P.Aljama, F.Locatelli, C.Tielsmans, V Gasparovic, W.Horl, C.Baldamus, A Guttierez, H.Henrich and N Lamiere) discussed the report it was written by himself and not endorsed by the panel or the International Society of Nephrology.

It is a tribute to the power of the Internet and the RenalWEB website that this rather tardy clarification and apology appears, as my original letter of protest about the Canaud report to Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation was rejected by the editor on the grounds of prior publication on the Internet.

Stanley Shaldon, MA, MD, FRCP
25 Le Michelangelo
7 Avenue des Papalins
MONACO 98000
e-mail: stanley_shaldon@monaco377.com

References:
1.Canaud B. Performance liquid test as a cause for sudden deaths of dialysis patients: perfluorohydrocarbon, a previously unrecognised hazard for dialysis patients. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2002; 17:545-54
2. Shaldon S, Deaths due to dialyzer repair: a new syndrome. Clin Nephrol 2002;58:82-
3.Canaud B. Liquid test and sudden death in dialysis Nephrol Dial Transplant 2002 17; 1706-1707