Switch from conventional to every other day hemodialysis: a comparison pilot study.

ABSTRACT

Fluid and solute fluctuations during the week are the main drawbacks of conventional hemodialysis (cHD) in patients' outcomes. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of every other day hemodialysis (eodHD) on clinical and laboratory parameters and to compare to that of cHD. Eighteen patients on cHD were included in the study. Nine patients (group I) were randomly switched to eodHD, while the rest (group II) remained on their regular cHD. By the end of the study (12 months) we observed a reduction in body weight followed by a parallel reduction in predialysis mean blood pressure by 7 mm Hg in group I (p<0.05) and the number of antihypertensives. Moreover, a reduction in left ventricular mass and an increment of ejection fraction was observed in group I. Hemoglobin levels remained stable in both groups, but erythropoietin dose was reduced in eodHD group. Dialysis delivered dose (dpKt/V) was higher and urea rebound phenomenon was less in group I. Finally, an improvement in uremia related and postdialysis symptoms was observed in the same group of patients. Our results showed that eodHD improved patients' clinical and biochemical status and therefore might have advantages in patients' outcomes compared with cHD.