The Gambro team were delighted to have an opportunity to see so many of you at the renal conferences in May, and to share news about our product and service developments. In particular, the BRS/ RA conference was an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the new AK 96 HD machine. If you were unable to make one of these previews, please contact the marketing team who will be glad to update you. Meanwhile, at the ERA- EDTA Congress in Stockholm the main theme for the Gambro stand was innovation, which of course is central to our Gambro DNA programme. Visitors here had a preview of seven new products which will be launched across Europe later this year and during 2009. Our staff on the stand spoke to customers from around the world, ' from Ireland to India' as someone put it, and there was a very positive response to Gambro's innovation programme. New division focuses on water The wide- ranging nature of Gambro DNA is also clear from our investment in creating a new Water Systems division to strengthen further our commitment to all areas of renal care. The division is headed up by our new water purification specialist Becky Lacey, who brings 18 years of knowledge in the water sector with her, backed up by her scientific qualifications in chemistry and microbiology. Becky and her team will be responsible for all areas of our water quality provision, from the centralised water system approach using our established CWP range through to the single patient WRO units. I am very excited about what this new division will help us achieve for our customers and their patients. For more information about our water products, please contact Becky Lacey 01480 444035 rebecca. lacey@ gambro. com Make the most of your support resources The Technical Services area of our website has been updated offering you more information and support, while our Customer Service team remains available for non- technical enquiries. At www. gambro. co. ukyou can find technical newsletters covering modification messages, rebuild orders and general updates. There are also service, operator, accessory and tools manuals, the latest spare parts price list and ordering details, software downloads and details of training courses. The Technical Services phone line is also a useful resource for technical information. The line is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.00pm - call 01480 444056. You can also email the team at techsupportuk@ gambro. com for the same support. Customer Service for non- technical enquiries Don't forget that you can contact Gambro's Customer Service team for free by phone or fax, for everything from placing and tracking orders to general enquiries. The numbers are: Telephone 0800 652 1380 Fax 0800 652 1390 This free service applies to all UK mainland customers, including Northern Ireland. ( In the Republic of Ireland please check with your network provider.) For all other services, you can still contact our UK Head Office at Huntingdon on 01480 444000. 2 Investment in products and services continues DNA update Becky Lacey heads up our new Water Systems division MARS ® proves itself for efficient liver therapy Over the past decade the use of MARS, the therapeutic procedure for treating liver failure, has grown in its application internationally. More than 5,000 patients in 30 countries have been treated and now Gambro is investing in helping UK intensive care units and others benefit from what the therapy offers. MARS ( Molecular Adsorbents Recirculating System) is an extracorporeal liver support therapy that is being used to treat patients with a variety of indications. These include acute decompensation of chronic liver diseases, acute liver failure and liver dysfunction, poisoning of various types including drug overdose and mushroom poisoning, liver transplant failure, multiple organ failure and therapy resistant pruritis in cases of liver disease. Gina Greenwood, Gambro's MARS Therapy Specialist, explains how it works: " In cases of liver failure, albumin- bound toxins accumulate in the blood because blood detoxification carried out

Events diary The 37th EDTN/ ERCA International Conference 6- 9 September, Prague, Czech Republic www. edtnaerca. org The theme for this year's conference is ' Improving the quality of renal care in Europe: building a bridge between theory and practice'. West Midlands Renal Audit 10 September, Walsall An all- day meeting for the West Midlands Renal Network covering dialysis, transplantation and nephrology issues. British Association of Critical Care Nurses - the 23rd National Conference 15- 17 September, York www. baccnconference. org. uk On stand 36 Gambro will be demonstrating our Prismaflex machine, the latest generation of CRRT equipment, and discussing the various therapies that can be delivered. We will also feature Taurosept, a catheter locking solution that helps to increase catheter patency. The 5th International Symposium on Clinical Applications of Serum Free Light Chain Analysis 18- 19 September, Bath www. biennial2008. org This conference will present the latest information on both heavy and light chain analysis for applications in monoclonal gammopathies and renal disease. Data from a trial of Gambro's HCO 1100 dialyser will also be highlighted. The 4th St George's Vascular Access Meeting 19 September, London www. vascularaccesssociety. com A one- day symposium on vascular access monitoring and methods. NKF Annual Patients' Conference 3- 5 October, Kenilworth www. kidney. org. uk/ conf08/ A varied programme including workshops on live donation and how to avoid muscle wastage. The Association of Renal Technologists National Meeting and Exhibition 29- 31 October, Northampton www. artery. org. uk The programme for this event includes international speakers and a technical workshop. ContactLouise Young 01480 444033 louise. young@ gambro. com 3 Customer survey shows service improvements Gambro DNA is about service development as well as product innovation. So we were especially interested in the results of the recent independent survey of renal physicians, managers, pharmacists, nurses and technicians. The results were encouraging, with an improvement on our performance compared with the previous year. We saw improvements in vital areas including the quality of our products, education and training. In fact our clinical nurses and trainers achieved the highest satisfaction rating, scoring half- way between the highest possible satisfaction level and the next second highest. This was the seventh such survey completed on behalf of Gambro, the first of which was initiated in 2002. Areas investigated included satisfaction with Gambro's products, customer communications, technical support, customer service, and the overall perception of us as a healthcare provider. For your copy of a report outlining the key findings of the survey, please contact Louise Young 01480 444033 louise. young@ gambro. com Gareth JonesCountry Manager, UK & Ireland by the liver is severely compromised. MARS therapy permits the transport of these toxins carried by an albumin dialysate via a special membrane, thus eliminating them from the blood. " It combines the benefits of customary extracorporeal renal substitution therapies with the possibility of removing albumin- bound substances. Water- soluble and albumin- bound toxins of small and medium size can be removed from the blood selectively and in a single step. The system means that the liver can be supported in detoxifying the blood and the prognosis and condition can be improved significantly." Clinical efficiency and cost benefits The major complications typical of severe liver failure, such as renal dysfunction or hepatic encephalopathy, increase the cost of treating each patient. The treatment cost further increases with multiple complications, taking up extensive ITU resources or on transplantation. By making use of MARS, these complications can be avoided or dealt with more quickly and effectively, and so the cost- effectiveness is clear. Gina Greenwood is in contact with intensive care units, transplantation centres and dialysis units to explain the excellent results that have been reported internationally. She is also delivering training on the use of MARS in all these settings and welcomes enquiries along these lines. ContactGina Greenwood 01480 444000 gina. greenwood@ gambro. com Visit www. gambroDNA. co. ukfor more details about our programme of innovation.