title: Use of iohexol to quantify hemodialysis delivered and residual renal function: technical note.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Classically, urea (molecular wt = 60) is used to determine the urea reduction ratio (URR) or clearance, based on volume of distribution (Kt/V). These methods are subject to many errors. The purpose of this study was to determine whether iohexol (Io; molecular wt = 821) could be used instead of urea and provide better information as well as middle molecule clearance data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten hemodialysis (HD) patients were evaluated. All were dialyzed for three hours, and a single bolus of 100 ml of Io was injected immediately post-HD. For direct dialysis quantification (DDQ), the spent dialysate was collected in a drum, and urea and iodine (I) determined immediately prior to, at the end of, and 30 minutes post-HD. As routinely used, DDQ measures clearance directly rather than estimates the levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Calculated Kt/V urea (1.21+/-0.05) significantly overestimated DDQ Kt/V urea (0.78+/-0.04, P < 0.001) whereas calculated and DDQ Kt/V Io were similar (1.44+/-0.10 vs. 1.36+/-0.05). The URR and iohexol reduction ratio (IoRR) were also different (0.63+/-0.02 vs. 0.69+/-0.02; P < 0.002) with a urea but not Io rebound (URR30 min 0.59+/-0.02, P < 0.05). Calculated urea clearance (C(urea)), 247+/-21 ml/min, significantly overestimated DDQ C(urea) (157+/-10 ml/min P < 0.001). Calculated CIo and DDQ CIo, however, were similar (109+/-8 vs. 104+/-7 ml/min). Total body clearance (TBC) in six anuric subjects was 2.5+/-0.3 ml/min, and in four oliguric subjects was 5.2+/-0.5 ml/min. In 10 additional patients, direct urine measurements demonstrated a non-renal clearance (NRC) of 2.97+/-0.18 ml/min, which was 4.0+/-0.3% of body wt. Use of this factor allowed an estimation of residual renal function (RRF) that accurately reflected measured RRF (1.32+/-0.53 vs. 1.42+/-0.55 ml/min)
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A single injection of Io can be used to determine Kt/V, RR, and RRF without rebound or the inconvenience of urine collection. It may also represent middle molecule clearance better than urea kinetics, and may serve as a superior method for determining HD delivered and dialysis adequacy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, USA.
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Sacamay
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Bolton
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007472:Iohexol; D014508:Urea