Hemafuse is designed to salvage and recycle whole blood from cases of internal bleeding.
The device can be used in both emergencies and scheduled procedures to
recover blood from where it pools inside of a patient, into a blood bag,
where it is immediately available to be re-transfused back to that same
patient.
Hemafuse was created for patients suffering from internal
bleeding resulting from trauma, ruptured ectopic pregnancies, or for use
in planned surgeries. Hemafuse can be used in cases where there is no
donor blood available, and even as the preferred option over donor
blood.
When compared to autotransfusion, the use of donor blood comes
with a higher risk of disease transfer, increased length of stay,
readmissions, and other complications.
Hemafuse is now used in 10 different hospitals across Kenya. Last month,
Hemafuse received an endorsement from The First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta
at the launch of the Nairobi Beyond Zero Medical Safari held at Uhuru
Park Nairobi on January, 25 2020.
During the event, Dr. Elizabeth Wala, Programme Director for
Health Systems Strengthening at Amref Health Africa in Kenya, announced
that the Kenya Pharmacy and Poison Board have approved Hemafuse.
“Blood is a matter of life and death, the impact of this device is
saving lives that could have been lost due to lack of blood. Achieving
[Universal Health Coverage] requires innovations for essential medicines
and health technologies that save lives,” she added.
Dr. Gerald Osei-Owusu, a Medical Officer at Tema General, has
used Hemafuse in several different surgeries. After experiencing
Hemafuse first hand, he says the device cuts down on cost, the time it
takes to save the patient, and reduces their recovery time.
Using Hemafuse to recycle a patient’s own blood saves the donor blood
that is available for other patients who are not candidates for
autotransfusion.
Autotransfusion reduces the risk of infection and disease
transmission because using a patient’s own blood is safer than someone
else’s.
Hemafuse is now available at hospitals in Kenya and Ghana, and will be coming to hospitals across Africa
