Schneditz D, Zaluska WT, Morris AT, Fan Z, Kaufman AM, Levin NW
Effect of ultrafiltration on peripheral urea sequestration in hemodialysis patients
Am Soc Nephrol
J Am Soc Nephrol (abstract) (Sep) 7:1525 1996

The rate of removal of urea during hemodialysis is partly dependent on the rate at which urea is transferred from peripheral parts of the body into the fistula. This inter-compartment urea transfer should be partly dependent on blood flow and is also responsible for the post dialysis urea rebound. In theory, ultrafiltration should reduce cardiac output and regional blood flow. This should reduce the inter-compartment transfer rate, causing urea to be retained in the periphery and increase the post-dialysis rebound.

Five patients were entered into a prospective case-controlled study to compare the rebound after dialyses with and without ultrafiltration. Patients were studied over two consecutive hemodialysis sessions. The first was performed conventionally with about 1 litre/hour ultrafiltration. The second was performed without ultrafiltration. Following the second treatment, the patient received isolated ultrafiltration to return him to dry weight.

In the patients studied, the rebound (calculated from (Ct-Ceq)/C0) was 14% less when the dialysis was performed without ultrafiltration.

Comment: Since only five patients were studied, any conclusions are tentative. The inter-compartment and rebound effects reduce the mass of urea removed during dialysis by about 12%. If the rebound is increased by 14% by ultrafiltration, this will reduce the mass of urea removed by a further 2%. Although this will not be clinically significant, the phenomenon does support the hypothesis that inter-compartment urea transfer depends, at least in part, on hemodynamic factors.

(James Tattersall, M.D., United Kingdom)

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Am Soc Nephrol
Basic hemodialysis : Adequacy, prescription, urea kinetics