The Interdialytic Creatinine Rise is a novel marker of volume overload and mortality risk in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Volume overload poses a major risk in hemodialysis patients but simple detection methods are lacking. We propose a novel marker, the Interdialytic Creatinine Rise (IDCR), readily calculated as the change in serum creatinine over time (in mg/dL/h), to assess volume overload and predict mortality risk in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: First, we calculated IDCR changes with volume in a prospective cohort of 35 hospitalized hemodialysis patients awaiting hemodialysis and 33 hospitalized patients undergoing hemodialysis every other day. Second, in a prospective cohort of 25 outpatients, IDCR cutoff values associated with hypervolemia were determined between two treatments and compared with simultaneous volume assessments by their nephrologist. Third, IDCR as a mortality predictor was studied using survival analysis in a longitudinal retrospective cohort study of 39 maintenance hemodialysis patients followed from 2012 until death or 2017. RESULTS: IDCR decreased by - 0.014 mg/dL/h each day (95%CI - 0.017,- 0.010; p < 0.001) without dialysis due to fluid volume gain and increased by 0.013 mg/dL/h (95%CI 0.008,0.017; p < 0.001) from before to after each successive hemodialysis due to fluid removal. Choosing an IDCR cutoff value of ≤0.1 had sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 79% in diagnosing volume overload with the area under the ROC curve of 0.78 (95%CI 0.59,0.97). The hazard ratio of death for each 0.01 decrease in IDCR was 1.64 (95%CI 1.31,2.07; p < 0.001). If IDCR decreased to less than 0.05 mg/dL/h, the median survival was 32 days and the odds ratio of death within 2 months was 38 (95%CI 8, 131; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, IDCR is shown to be a novel metric that decreases with fluid retention and increases after fluid removal. IDCR can assist clinicians in detection or exclusion of volume overload in hemodialysis patients and provide prognostic value in identifying those at high risk for death.

Efficacy of hemocontrol biofeedback system in intradialytic hypotension-prone hemodialysis patients.

We conducted a study to determine whether the hemocontrol biofeedback system (HBS) can improve intradialytic hypotension (IDH) in hypotension-prone hemodialysis (HD) patients compared with conventional HD. In this multicenter prospective crossover study, 60 hypotension-prone patients were serially treated by conventional HD for 8 weeks (period A), by HD with hemoscan blood volume monitoring for 2 weeks (period B0), and by HBS HD for 8 weeks (period B1). The number of sessions complicated by symptomatic IDH during 24 HD sessions (14.9 ± 5.8 sessions, 62.1% in period A vs 9.2 ± 7.2 sessions, 38.4% in period B1, P<0.001) and the number of IDH-related nursing interventions in a session (0.96 ± 0.66 in period A vs 0.56 ± 0.54 in period B1, P<0.001) significantly decreased in period B1 than in period A. Recovery time from fatigue after dialysis was significantly shorter in period B1 than in period A. The patients with higher post-dialysis blood pressure, lower difference between pre- and post-dialysis blood pressure, less frequent IDH, and higher pre- and post-dialysis body weight in period A responded better to HBS in period B1 in regard to the reduction of IDH. In conclusion, HBS may improve the patient tolerability to HD by reducing the IDH frequency and promoting faster recovery from fatigue after dialysis.

Associations between Hemodialysis Facility Practices to Manage Fluid Volume and Intradialytic Hypotension and Patient Outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fluid overload and intradialytic hypotension are associated with cardiovascular events and mortality in patients on hemodialysis. We investigated associations between hemodialysis facility practices related to fluid volume and intradialytic hypotension and patient outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Data were analyzed from 10,250 patients in 273 facilities across 12 countries, from phase 4 of the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS; 2009-2012). Cox regression models (shared frailty) were used to estimate associations between facility practices reported by medical directors in response to the DOPPS Medical Directors Survey and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization, and cardiovascular events, adjusting for country, age, sex, dialysis vintage, predialysis systolic BP, cardiovascular comorbidities, diabetes, body mass index, smoking, residual kidney function, dialysis adequacy, and vascular access type. RESULTS: Of ten facility practices tested (chosen a priori), having a protocol that specifies how often to assess dry weight in most patients was associated with lower all-cause (hazard ratio [HR], 0.78; 99% confidence interval [99% CI], 0.64 to 0.94) and cardiovascular mortality (HR, 0.72; 99% CI, 0.55 to 0.95). Routine orthostatic BP measurement to assess dry weight was associated with lower all-cause hospitalization (HR, 0.86; 99% CI, 0.77 to 0.97) and cardiovascular events (HR, 0.85; 99% CI, 0.73 to 0.98). Routine use of lower dialysate temperature to limit or prevent intradialytic hypotension was associated with lower cardiovascular mortality (HR, 0.76; 99% CI, 0.58 to 0.98). Routine use of an online volume indicator to assess dry weight was associated with higher all-cause hospitalization (HR, 1.19; 99% CI, 1.02 to 1.38). Routine use of sodium modeling/profiling to limit or prevent intradialytic hypotension was associated with higher all-cause mortality (HR, 1.36; 99% CI, 1.14 to 1.63), cardiovascular mortality (HR, 1.34; 99% CI, 1.04 to 1.73), and cardiovascular events (HR, 1.21; 99% CI, 1.03 to 1.43). CONCLUSIONS: Hemodialysis facility practices relating to the management of fluid volume and intradialytic hypotension are associated with patient outcomes.

A Patient on Peritoneal Dialysis with Refractory Volume Overload.

The management of volume in patients with diabetes on peritoneal dialysis is affected by several factors, including the degree of residual renal function, peritoneal membrane small-solute transport, salt and water intake, blood sugar control, comorbidity, and nutritional status. It requires sequential evaluation of volume status and adjustment of the peritoneal dialysis prescription on the basis of assessments of membrane function and alterations in urine volume. Steps should be taken to preserve residual renal function for as long as possible. Ultimately, in patients who have become anuric and have developed ultrafiltration failure, timely transfer to hemodialysis may be necessary, requiring discussion and planning with the patient.