Is it ok to draw water/dialysate samples during off dialysis day. Our facility is open M-W-F and its hard to draw samples from the machine during dialysis day. Our policy is to culture all machine every month and to do this you have to watch/guard all the tech before they prime the machine for the next patient and it is impossible to be in two machines at the same time.Another problem is when you draw sample, the machine will calibrate again and sometimes it takes 10 minutes( plus a look from an angry tech because of the delay). What is the latest AAMI recommendation about water culture and LAL. I ask a lot of person about this and they gave different answers.

I don't know if this will help or not, but our company policy is for us to draw dialysate samples during the last 30 minutes of treatment time while the patient is still on the machine. That would eliminate you having to stand so much guard duty, but good luck getting them to help much. Maybe your facility manager could help get them interested.