Glucose infusion test: a new screening test for vascular access recirculation.
BACKGROUND
Vascular access recirculation is an important cause of diminished dialysis efficiency. We propose a new screening test based on glucose infusion as a tracer for recirculation.


METHODS
The glucose infusion test (GIT) protocol comprises a basal blood sample (A) from the arterial port, a 5 mL bolus of 20% glucose into the venous chamber (time 0), followed by a second sample (B) in four seconds (from 13 to 17 s with QB 300 mL/min) from the same port. The blood glucose level is determined at the bedside on A and B with a reflectance photometer (CV 1.8%). Interpretation of the test is straightforward: If B = A, there is no recirculation, whereas if B > A, recirculation can be calculated from the regression equation: 0.046 x (B - A) + 0.07, obtained from in vitro tests reproducing artificial recirculation at 0, 5, and 10%. To validate this new method in vivo, we compared GIT and the urea test on 39 hemodialysis patients, obtaining a good correlation (r = 0.93). The two tests were considered positive (recirculation present) when the lower 95% confidence intervals were more than zero.


RESULTS
Our patients were divided into two groups: those with (22 out of 39, mean recirculation 11.8%) or without recirculation (17 out of 39, mean 0.06%). The urea test did not recognize 7 out of 22 patients because they had a small recirculation below the urea test limit of detection.


CONCLUSIONS
GIT was more sensitive (detection limit 0.3%), simpler, and immediate in showing the results than the urea test. It is an accurate and low-cost technique for screening and follow-up of vascular access in a dialysis unit.
Magnasco
A
A
Nephrology Dialysis Unit, Sestri Levante Hospital, Aosta Hospital, Occupational Medicine Unit, and S. Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
Alloatti
S
S
Bonfant
G
G
Copello
F
F
Solari
P
P
D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism
D014508:Urea; D005947:Glucose