Correctable factors contributing to the anemia of dialysis patients.
Twelve out of 60 patients undergoing regular dialysis treatment were found to have an inappropriate degree of anemia. This was not related to duration on dialysis, square meter hours of dialysis or underlying renal disease. Radioactive methods were used to determine blood losses in the dialyzer, lines, at cannulation and from the gastrointestinal tract in the "anemic" patients. Ten of these patients were found to have excessive blood losses and appropriate measures to correct this produced a significant rise in hematocrit in all cases.
D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*