title: High-flux and low-flux membranes: efficacy in hemodialysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inadequacy of dialysis is one of the main causes of death in hemodialysis patients. Some studies have suggested that high-flux membrane improves the removal of moderate-sized molecules while other studies indicate no significant effect on them.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the dialysis efficacy of low-flux versus high-flux membranes in hemodialysis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty hemodialysis patients participated in this cross-over clinical trial. Two sessions of low-flux and high-flux membrane dialysis were performed consecutively, in the first and second stage of the trial. In both stages, blood samples before and after the dialysis were taken and sent to the laboratory for assessment. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), KT/V and the urea reduction ratio (URR) indexes were used to determine dialysis efficacy. Data were analyzed using t test and paired t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean KT/V was 1.27 ± 0.28 in high-flux and 1.10 ± 0.32 in low-flux membrane which, these differences were statistically significant (P = 0.017). The mean of URR was 0.65 ± 0.09 in high-flux and 0.61 ± 0.14 in low-flux membrane, which these differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.221).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high-flux membrane had better dialysis adequacy, so we suggest using high-flux membrane in hemodialysis centers.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Maternal and Child Care, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Khodayar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oshvandi
authors.affiliation: Nursing and Midwifery School, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Rasol
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kavyannejad
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Maternal and Child Care, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Sayed Reza
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Borzuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gholyaf
keywords: Dialysis Efficacy; Hemodialysis; High-Flux Membrane; Iran; Low-Flux Membrane