Comparison of high-flux and low-flux hemodialysis filters on hemodialysis adequacy in under-hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease

Abstract

Background: Hemodialysis is the most common alternative therapy in chronic renal failure and inadequate dialysis increases the mortality of patients; thus, the dialysis adequacy in these patients is important. This study aimed to compare the adequacy if hemodialysis high-flux and low-flux filters in Hospital Dialysis Centers of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and assess its relation to other indices for patients with chronic and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, 42 patients were performed with low-flux and high-flux filters. So, the patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease, with the rate of ultrafiltration of more than 3 liters, in the two cross groups underwent hemodialysis with high- and low-flux filters in 2 months. The indicators for measuring the Kt/V in each dialysis and other lab indices at the beginning and the end of each month were measured and compared using SPSS software. Findings: At the end of the intervention, significant difference in adequacy of dialysis was observed between the two groups of high- and low-flux filtration. Although, both groups of patients had adequacy of dialysis in terms of defined standards, but the findings showed that Kt/V in hemodialysis significantly was lower in high-flux group (P = 0.013). Conclusion: This study showed that the high-flux filters in higher volumes of 3 liters of ultrafiltration, increases the average dialysis adequacy more than the low-flux filters. We suggest future studies to assess the impact of long-term use of high-flux filters on dialysis efficacy, improved quality of life and reduced hospitalization rate in hemodialysis patients and its effect on reducing healthcare costs; patients are thereby cost-benefited in using high-flux filters for long term. © 2015, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.