Roy PN, Danziger RS
Dialysate magnesium concentration predicts the occurrence of intradialytic hypotension
Am Soc Nephrol
J Am Soc Nephrol (abstract) (Sep) 7:1496 1996

With all of the work done on dialysate hypotension, one would think that new insights relating to dialysate composition and hypotensive side effects would not be forthcoming. Certainly we know that use of a low calcium dialysate can increase the risk of hypotension, and such dialysates should probably not be used in the acute setting unless the patient is frankly hypercalcemic. Magnesium has vasoactive properties also, however, and changes in blood magnesium concentration during dialysis may also impact on vascular stability.

Roy and Danziger compared the incidence of hypotension in 78 clinically stable dialysis patients randomly assigned to acetate or bicarbonate dialysis using a low (0.38 mM) or high (0.75 mM) dialysate magnesium concentration. They measured both the maximum change in MAP (DMAP) as well as the % incidence of dialysis associated hypotension (DAH). Interestingly, neither DMAP nor DAH differed between acetate and bicarbonate. However, with both dialysates, DMAP and DAH were significantly less with the low magnesium dialysates.

Comment: Although this abstract did not receive a "blue ribbon", in my judgement it was one of the most important presented at the ASN 1996 in the dialysis field. I remember sitting at a hall in ASAIO about 16 years ago when Maggiore presented his results re dialysis hypotension and extracorporeal blood temperature gradients, where we all wondered "why didn't we we think of that?". The present abstract may be an insight of similar importance, and especially should be considered when dialyzing a hypotensive patient in ICU on pressors. The magnitude of clinical benefit re hypotension in these "clinically stable" patients (a reduction of hypotensive epidoses by 50%) was huge. (John T. Daugirdas, M.D., University of IL at Chicago)

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Am Soc Nephrol
Basic hemodialysis : Complications (acute)
Basic hemodialysis : (Intermittent) dialysis for ARF