title: The relationship between arteriovenous fistula blood flow rate and pulmonary artery pressure in hemodialysis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although there is an increased prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in hemodialysis patients, the relationship between arteriovenous (AV) fistula blood flow and pulmonary hemodynamics is not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between blood flow rate of AV fistula and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in hemodialysis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two hemodialysis patients were included in this study. Within 1 h of completion of dialysis, blood flow rate of AV fistula and pulmonary hemodynamics were evaluated using Doppler sonography. Pulmonary hypertension was defined as mean PAP > or = 25 mmHg at rest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean PAP, median blood flow rate of AV fistula, and mean cardiac index were 22.5 +/- 10.0 mmHg (range 8-39), 978.0 ml/min (interquartile range 762.0-1,584.5) and 3,043.0 +/- 694.3 ml/ min per m2 (range 1,251-4,140), respectively. Mean PAP has a relationship to cardiac index (r = 0.453, P = 0.014). However, there was no correlation between mean PAP and blood flow rate of AV fistula, hemoglobin, calcium-phosphorus (CaxP) product, and parathormone. Pulmonary hypertension was present in 43.7% of patients. Patients with pulmonary hypertension had significantly higher cardiac index (P = 0.036).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found there was no direct relationship between blood flow rate of AV fistula and PAP. Other factors may play a role in the development of pulmonary hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar 03200, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gursel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Acarturk
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Albayrak
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melek
authors.forename: Seref
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuksel
authors.forename: Ihsan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Uslan
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Atli
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colbay
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unlu
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fidan
authors.forename: Zerrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Asci
authors.forename: Soner
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cander
authors.forename: Ozcan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karaman
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Acar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D006435:Renal Dialysis