title: Benefit of intravenous essential amino-acids in catabolic patients on chronic maintenance hemodialysis.
abstract: The effect on the clinical status of catabolic hemodialysis patients of I.V. essential amino-acids administered over 3 months at the end of each dialysis is assessed in an open clinical follow-up study of 10 patients; these patients showed a progressive deterioration of general condition and a progressive weight loss in the period before the start of the treatment. The study was undertaken in a hospital dialysis unit, with as main outcome measures body weight, hematocrit, a scoring index of general condition and degree of edema. In patients showing a progressive and consistent loss of body weight in the months preceding the study, after the first treatment month, body weight started to rise, increasing after 3 months from 56.2 +/- 2.3 to 58.6 +/- 2.4 kg (p less than 0.01). The hematocrit raised from 22.4 +/- 1.6% up to 26.5 +/- 1.9% (p less than 0.02). Over this period, only 2 liters of packed cells were administered, in contrast to an overall need of 13 liters in the preceding 6 months. Peripheral and/or pulmonary edema disappeared. A scoring index, of general condition, increased from 5.1 +/- 1.5 before the start of the study to 11.7 +/- 0.8 after 3 months (p less than 0.01). It is concluded that the parenteral administration of amino-acids in catabolic patients on chronic hemodialysis has a beneficial effect on general condition, and the balance of body fluid and body mass.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Department, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Matthys
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Vanholder
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ringoir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000601:Amino Acids, Essential / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001826:Body Fluids; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000523:psychology; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D000601:Amino Acids, Essential