B. Braun Issues Correction for Hemodialysis Bloodlines
Summary
B. Braun Medical Inc. received FDA Class I designation for an Urgent Medical Device Correction on April 22, 2026, affecting six Streamline Airless System and B3 Low Volume Hemodialysis Bloodline models. FDA identified this as the most serious recall type — the device may cause serious injury or death if used without correction. The recall stems from a tubing resin change causing air bubbles to adhere to arterial bloodlines during treatment, with bubble formation beginning approximately 60 minutes into dialysis. As of March 20, 2026, B. Braun has not reported any serious injuries or deaths. FDA instructs affected customers to use alternate dialysis equipment when available and follow mitigation protocols when no alternative exists.
“The FDA has identified this recall as the most serious type. This device may cause serious injury or death if you continue to use it without correction.”
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GovPing monitors FDA Medical Device Recalls for new healthcare & life sciences regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 16 changes logged to date.
What changed
FDA classified B. Braun Medical Inc.'s hemodialysis bloodline correction as a Class I recall on April 22, 2026 — the most serious type, indicating potential for serious injury or death. Six specific product codes are affected across two bloodline product families. The correction was necessitated by a tubing resin change that causes air bubbles to adhere to the arterial bloodline between the patient connector and blood pump during dialysis treatment, with bubble formation typically beginning approximately 60 minutes into treatment. The bubbles may cause treatment delays, machine alarms requiring operator response, less efficient treatment, or blood loss in patients where return of blood is not clinically feasible. Healthcare facilities using these hemodialysis bloodlines should obtain the correction letter from B. Braun, assess availability of alternate equipment, apply mitigation protocols if alternatives are unavailable, ensure all relevant personnel are informed, and post the correction notice at storage locations.
What to do next
- Use alternate dialysis equipment
- Ensure full adherence to both the bloodline and dialysis machine Instructions for Use
- Avoid high flow during treatment if small air bubbles are present
- Avoid retrograde rinseback if small air bubbles are present
- Ensure all users and relevant personnel are informed of this correction
- Post the Urgent Medical Device Correction notice where the affected products are stored
- Contact B. Braun Medical Inc. at Recalls@bbraunusa.com or 1-833-425-1464
Archived snapshot
Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
This recall **involves correcting certain devices, and does not involve removing them from where they are used or sold.* The FDA has identified this recall as the most serious type. This device may cause serious injury or death if you continue to use it without correction. The affected products and recommendations for what to do with the devices below have not changed.*
Affected Product
The FDA is aware that B. Braun Medical Inc. has issued an Urgent Medical Device Correction to affected customers recommending certain Streamline Airless System Hemodialysis Bloodlines and B3 Low Volume Bloodlines only be used if no alternative is available.
Affected devices:
| Material | Description | Unique Device Identifier - Primary | Unique Device Identifier - Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| B3-3632M3705 | LOW VOL, NO CHAMBER 2.6MM PUMP SEGMENT | 04046955348824 | 04046955348817 |
| B3-4630M4705 | LOW VOL, NO CHAMBER 4.8MM PUMP SEGMENT | 04046955348848 | 04046955348831 |
| SL-2000M2095DA | STREAMLINE FRESENIUS FOR DAVITA | 04046955776023 | 04046955776016 |
| SL-2000M2095L | STREAMLINE BLOODLINE LONG VERSION, FMC | 04046955348909 | 04046955348893 |
| SL-2010M2096 | STREAMLINE BLOODLINE SET FOR DIALOG | 04046964367786 | 04046964367779 |
| SL-2010M2096A | STREAMLINE BLOODLINE SET FOR DIALOG DR | 04046955674992 | 04046955735280 |
What to Do
Use alternate dialysis equipment. If you do not have access to alternate equipment and need to administer treatment, follow the instructions below to help mitigate potential harm.
On March 19, B. Braun Medical Inc. sent all affected customers a letter recommending the following actions:
- Ensure full adherence to both the bloodline and dialysis machine Instructions for Use
- Avoid high flow during treatment if small air bubbles are present
- Avoid retrograde rinseback if small air bubbles are present
- Ensure all users and relevant personnel are informed of this correction
- Post the Urgent Medical Device Correction notice where the affected products are stored
Reason for Correction
B. Braun Medical Inc. has preliminary testing showing that a change to the tubing resin has led to small air bubbles adhering to the inside of the arterial bloodline, in the segment between the patient connector and the blood pump. These bubbles are the result of degassing of blood on the arterial side of the blood pump due to the negative pressure within the tubing and are not being drawn into the bloodline from the external environment. With the previous tubing resin, these bubbles remained in the blood and were compressed or dissolved via the positive pressure applied post blood pump. With the new resin, these small bubbles adhere to the inside of the bloodline and may gather to form larger bubbles. This process of degassing and bubble formation normally begins approximately 60 minutes into dialysis treatment.
Air bubbles detected in the line during use may lead to a delay in treatment to replace the set and resume therapy. If the operator does not replace the set, it may result in less efficient treatment. If the safety air detector in the dialysis machine detects the bubbles, the machine will alarm and automatically stop treatment. The operator must respond to the alarm to continue treatment, which may include replacing the set and/or monitoring treatment.
Patients may experience moderate blood loss if it is not clinically feasible to return the blood in the extracorporeal circuit to the patient. In some patients, blood loss may lead to life-threatening adverse events, including death.
As of March 20, 2026, B. Braun Medical Inc. has not reported any serious injuries or deaths associated with this issue.
Device Use
Bloodline tubing sets are a collection of tubing segments and associated devices like connectors and clamps that are intended to transfer blood between a patient’s vascular access device and a hemodialyzer during hemodialysis.
Contact Information
Customers in the U.S. with adverse reactions, quality problems, or questions about this recall should contact B. Braun Medical Inc. at Recalls@bbraunusa.com or 1-833-425-1464.
Additional FDA Resources
Unique Device Identifier (UDI)
The unique device identifier (UDI) helps identify individual medical devices sold in the United States from manufacturing through distribution to patient use. The UDI allows for more accurate reporting, reviewing, and analyzing of adverse event reports so that devices can be identified, and problems potentially corrected more quickly.
- How do I recognize a UDI on a label?
- AccessGUDID database - Identify Your Medical Device
- Benefits of a UDI System
How do I report a problem?
Health care professionals and consumers may report adverse reactions or quality problems they experienced using these devices to MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.
Timeline of Communication Updates
| Date | Actions |
|---|---|
| 04/22/2026 | The FDA updated this communication to inform the public that this issue has been classified as a Class I Recall. |
| 03/25/2026 | The FDA issued an Early Alert communication to notify the public of a potentially high-risk device issue. |
- ## Content current as of:
04/22/2026
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