enFlow fluid warming device: warning over risk of aluminium toxicity

The enFlow IV fluid warming device should only be used if no alternative is available because of the risk of aluminium toxicity, the UK’s medicines devices agency has warned.

The device, manufactured by Vyaire Medical, is used to warm fluids and blood before they are infused into patients during surgery.

But a recent paper in Anaesthesia1 showed that uncoated aluminium plates in fluid warming systems, such as those used in the enFlow system, yielded potentially harmful concentrations of aluminium when using balanced electrolyte solutions.

A spokesperson for …