title: Intraocular pressure changes during hemodialysis: prevention of excessive dialytic rise and development of severe metabolic acidosis following acetazolamide therapy.
abstract: The response of intraocular pressure (IOP) to hemodialysis was investigated in 55 patients with end-stage kidney disease enrolled in a chronic dialysis program. The mean level of IOP, measured by the Goldman applanation tonometer, before dialysis was slightly lower than that of a control group of 50 healthy subjects (14.9 +/- 2 mm Hg vs 15.6 +/- 1.9 mm Hg. p = .07). During dialysis IOP underwent an excessive rise (7.8 to 12.5 mm Hg) in 10 patients (group 1), remained unchanged (variations below 2 mm Hg) in 41 patients (group 2), and decreased (3.1 to 5.1 mm Hg) in 4 patients (group 3). In group 1 patients, gonioscopy showed a narrow angle between iris and lateral cornea. Conversely, the anterior chamber angle was normal in patients of groups 2 and 3. The effect of a 7-day course of acetazolamide therapy (500 mg per day orally) on IOP was investigated in group 1 patients. Acetazolamide was capable of preventing the excessive IOP rise during dialysis. The mean reduction of such a dialytic rise was 8.1 mm Hg. However, despite this effect, in these patients the IOP level after dialysis still remained significantly higher than that of patients of group 2 (18.1 +/- 1 mm Hg vs 14.9 +/- 0.8 mm Hg. p less than .0001). Acetazolamide therapy precipitated in all patients a severe metabolic acidosis (blood pH fell from 7.38 +/- 0.02 to 7.24 +/- 0.03, p less than .0001; and bicarbonate concentration from 21 +/- 2.5 mmol/liter to 12.3 +/- 2.4 mmol/liter, p less than .0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Marchi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cecchin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tesio
mesh_terms: D000086:Acetazolamide / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium / Q000187:drug effects; D000138:Acidosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006068:Gonioscopy; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular
chemical_list: D000086:Acetazolamide