[The technological progress in haemodialysis: potassium profiling].

Abstract

Patients with the end-stage renal disease often suffer from numerous concomitant diseases. The most common are complications of the cardiovascular system. During the haemodialysis treatment, rapid changes in volume status, osmolality and electrolyte composition of the blood, cause disturbances which manifest as haemodynamic instability, hypotension and cardiac arrhythmias. Especially vulnerable are elderly patients and patients with generalized atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and severe anaemia. Rapid decrease in serum potassium concentration may cause fatal arrhythmias. Contemporary dialysis machines enable slow lowering of potassium concentration during the haemodialysis session (or during the acetate-free biofiltration), what significantly decreases incidence of cardiac arrhythmias and improve cardiovascular stability.