Hospitalization for Initiation of Maintenance Hemodialysis

Central venous pressure and ultrasonographic measurement correlation and their associations with intradialytic adverse events in hospitalized patients: A prospective observational study

PURPOSE

To investigate correlation of central venous pressure (CVP) with ultrasonographic measurement of central veins, along with association between these variables and occurrence of intradialytic adverse events in hospitalized patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients requiring hemodialysis via dialysis catheter were prospectively enrolled. CVP measurements through catheter, internal jugular vein aspect ratio, subclavian vein collapsibility, inferior vena cava (IVC) maximal diameter, and IVC collapsibility were recorded before and after hemodialysis. Predictive accuracy of ultrasonographic measurements in discriminating high versus low CVP and their association with intradialytic adverse events were evaluated. Area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine patients were enrolled. Median (interquartile range) pre- and post-dialysis CVPs were 8 (4-13)mmHg and 6 (3-10)mmHg, respectively (P<0.01). In pre-dialysis, IVC collapsibility had the highest AUC (0.79, P<0.01) to predict CVP >8mmHg. In post-dialysis, IVC maximal diameter had the highest AUC (0.86, P<0.01) to predict CVP ≤4mmHg. Fifteen patients (25%) had adverse events. Neither pre-dialytic CVP nor ultrasonographic variables were associated with occurrence of adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Highest accuracy in predicting low and high CVP was observed with ultrasonographic assessment of IVC diameter and collapsibility. Adverse events were not predicted by pre-dialytic CVP or ultrasonographic measurements.

Dialysis disequilibrium syndrome: a narrative review

Dialysis Disequilibrium Syndrome (DDS) is characterized by neurological symptoms caused by rapid removal of urea during hemodialysis. It develops primarily from an osmotic gradient that develops between the brain and the plasma as a result of rapid hemodialysis. This results in brain edema that manifests as neurological symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, tremors, disturbed consciousness, and convulsions. In severe cases, patients can die from advanced cerebral edema. Recent advancements in cell biology implicate the role of urea disequilibrium (with a smaller contribution from organic osmolytes) as the pathophysiological mechanism responsible for this syndrome. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis, clinical features and prevention of DDS.

Neurological complications in renal failure: a review

Neurological complications whether due to the uremic state or its treatment, contribute largely to the morbidity and mortality in patients with renal failure. Despite continuous therapeutic advances, many neurological complications of uremia, like uremic encephalopathy, atherosclerosis, neuropathy and myopathy fail to fully respond to dialysis. Moreover, dialytic therapy or kidney transplantation may even induce neurological complications. Dialysis can directly or indirectly be associated with dialysis dementia, dysequilibrium syndrome, aggravation of atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular accidents due to ultrafiltration-related arterial hypotension, hypertensive encephalopathy, Wernicke's encephalopathy, hemorrhagic stroke, subdural hematoma, osmotic myelinolysis, opportunistic infections, intracranial hypertension and mononeuropathy. Renal transplantation itself can give rise to acute femoral neuropathy, rejection encephalopathy and neuropathy in graft versus host disease. The use of immunosuppressive drugs after renal transplantation can cause encephalopathy, movement disorders, opportunistic infections, neoplasms, myopathy and progression of atherosclerosis. We address the clinical, pathophysiological and therapeutical aspects of both central and peripheral nervous system complications in uremia.