Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
Blood tubing is the sterile, single-use plastic tubing that carries a patient’s blood outside the body during a treatment. The term is used for two different products. In dialysis it means the arterial and venous bloodlines of a hemodialysis circuit. In transfusion it usually means a blood administration set with an inline filter. Both are different from a plain IV administration set. Users are dialysis and transfusion nurses and technicians, and the staff who stock their supplies.
What blood tubing is
The most common meaning is the hemodialysis blood tubing set, also called bloodlines. The manufacturer’s instructions for use (IFU) for one widely used set describe it as sterile, single use and disposable, indicated for use with a prescribed hemodialyzer, and intended for acute and chronic hemodialysis therapy. The same IFU describes the bloodline as part of the extracorporeal circuit by which blood is transported from the patient through a hemodialyzer and back to the patient.
Under US rules, the extracorporeal blood system of a hemodialysis system consists of tubing, pumps, pressure monitors, air or bubble detectors and alarms (21 CFR 876.5820). Accessories directly associated with the extracorporeal blood system are Class II devices.
Dialysis bloodlines: parts and how they work
A bloodline set has two halves, color coded in the example IFU: red for the arterial line that carries blood to the dialyzer and blue for the venous line that returns it. The parts named in that IFU are:
- Pump segment: a wider section of tubing that interfaces with the machine’s blood pump rotor.
- Pressure monitor lines and transducer protectors: connect the circuit to the machine’s arterial and venous pressure monitoring.
- Venous chamber: used for air detection, and the IFU says it must always be monitored with a level detector.
- Injection and access sites: split septum sites, a needleless chamber pigtail access and, on some sets, an attached priming set with a Y-injection site and a heparin line.
- Clamps and connectors: luer connectors that must be compatible with the other components (the IFU refers to ISO 80369-7).
For how the tubing fits into the whole machine, see what is a dialysis machine.
Types: dialysis bloodlines vs transfusion sets vs IV sets
Searches for “blood tubing”, “blood iv tubing” and “iv blood tubing” mix three products. The table separates them.
| Type | Typical use | Key difference | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hemodialysis bloodline set | Carries blood from the patient to a hemodialyzer and back during dialysis | Arterial and venous lines, pump segment, pressure monitor lines and venous chamber; fitted to a specific dialysis machine | Manufacturer IFU; 21 CFR 876.5820 |
| Blood administration (transfusion) set | Delivers donated blood components to a patient | Contains a standard inline filter, rated 170-260 micron, required per unit | CASRAI blood bank supply checklist |
| Intravascular administration set (general IV tubing) | Administers fluids from a container to a patient’s vascular system | Defined generically; FDA classifies it as Class II | 21 CFR 880.5440 |
For the fluid side of the IV family, see what is an IV bag and what is an IV infusion pump.
Specifications that matter: one real example
Bloodline specifications are model-specific. The table below gives the values printed in one manufacturer’s IFU, the Fresenius Medical Care hemodialysis blood tubing set with attached priming set. They are one set’s values, not a standard.
| Specification | Value in that IFU |
|---|---|
| Priming volume | 94 mL arterial, 62 mL venous |
| Blood path length | 152 in (385 cm) arterial, 116 in (295 cm) venous |
| Path tubing | 0.180 in (4.57 mm) inside diameter, 0.265 in (6.73 mm) outside diameter |
| Pump segment | 0.317 in (8.0 mm) inside diameter, 0.474 in (12.0 mm) outside diameter, 13.5 in (34.3 cm) long |
| Maximum blood flow | Do not exceed 600 mL/min |
| Pressure limits | Not beyond -300 mmHg arterial and +500 mmHg venous |
| Maximum therapy length | Do not use for therapies longer than 12 hours |
| Operating environment | 20-25 C |
How to choose
The IFU states the compatibility rule directly: the set is indicated for use with a prescribed hemodialyzer, and the suitability of a particular bloodline and hemodialyzer configuration is the responsibility of the physician. The same IFU lists the machine models the set is intended for, so the set must also match the dialysis machine in use. Luer connectors on every component must be compatible. The IFU also lists items needed but not supplied: fistula needles (not used for catheter patients), sterile normal saline and the hemodialyzer.
For a facility-level list of what is typically stocked around dialysis, see the outpatient dialysis center supply checklist and the home hemodialysis training supply checklist.
Safe use and handling basics
- Single use only. The IFU says not to reuse or alter the set.
- The set is ethylene oxide sterilized. Store it cool and dry, protected from moisture, freezing and excessive heat. Do not use it if protective caps are missing or the set is damaged.
- Use aseptic technique at any fluid-path connection, and disinfect access sites with 70% alcohol or 10% povidone-iodine as the IFU directs. Do not put lubricant on connections.
- Use clamps fully open or fully closed only.
- Use only by trained, qualified personnel under physician supervision.
Common mistakes
- Kinked tubing. The IFU warns that significant hemolysis of red blood cells can occur in kinked blood tubing, especially in the post-pump arterial segment. It also notes hemolysis is possible at elevated pressures.
- Unsecured or damaged connectors. In an FDA early alert on a B. Braun hemodialysis bloodline set, damaged patient connectors in certain lots could allow micro-air bubbles, air-in-line alarms, leakage and loss of sterility. FDA classed it as the most serious recall type, and the action was updated instructions: follow the IFU for securing patient connectors and inspect bloodlines more closely.
- Exceeding the set’s limits. Flow rate, pressure and therapy duration limits come from the IFU of the set in use.
- Treating dialysis and transfusion tubing as interchangeable. The table above shows they are different products with different parts.
FAQ
What is blood tubing used for?
In dialysis, to carry blood from the patient to the hemodialyzer and back. In transfusion, a blood administration set carries donated blood to the patient through an inline filter.
Is blood tubing reusable?
The dialysis bloodline IFU cited here says single use only and not to reuse or alter the set.
What is the difference between the arterial and venous line?
In the example IFU, the red arterial line carries blood from the patient toward the dialyzer and passes through the pump segment, and the blue venous line returns blood to the patient through the venous chamber used for air detection.
What is the difference between blood tubing and IV tubing?
General IV tubing is an administration set that moves fluid from a container to the vascular system. Blood tubing is either a dialysis bloodline set or a transfusion set with an inline filter.
What does blood in IV tubing mean?
This page cannot give clinical advice. Blood visible in an IV line is a patient-care event, so follow your facility’s protocol and the device’s IFU.
Sources
- Fresenius Medical Care, Instructions for Use, Hemodialysis Blood Tubing Set with attached priming set (document G71-4582), checked 2026-10-29. freseniusmedicalcare.com
- 21 CFR 876.5820, Hemodialysis system and accessories, checked 2026-10-29. ecfr.gov
- 21 CFR 880.5440, Intravascular administration set, checked 2026-10-29. ecfr.gov
- FDA, Alert update on use instructions for B. Braun hemodialysis blood tubing set, checked 2026-10-29. fda.gov
Related supplies: infusion supplies.
