title: [The Effect of Dialysate Flow Rate on Dialysis Adequacy and Fatigue in Hemodialysis Patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this single repeated measures study, an examination was done on the effects of dialysate flow rate on dialysis adequacy and fatigue in patients receiving hemodialysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a prospective single center study in which repeated measures analysis of variance were used to compare Kt/V urea (Kt/V) and urea reduction ratio (URR) as dialysis adequacy measures and level of fatigue at different dialysate flow rates: twice as fast as the participant's own blood flow, 500 mL/min, and 700 mL/min. Thirty-seven hemodialysis patients received all three dialysate flow rates using counterbalancing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Kt/V (M±SD) was 1.40±0.25 at twice the blood flow rate, 1.41±0.23 at 500 mL/min, and 1.46±0.24 at 700 mL/min. The URR (M±SD) was 68.20±5.90 at twice the blood flow rate, 68.67±5.22 at 500 mL/min, and 70.11±5.13 at 700 mL/min. When dialysate flow rate was increased from twice the blood flow rate to 700 mL/min and from 500 mL/min to 700 mL/min, Kt/V and URR showed relative gains. There was no difference in fatigue according to dialysate flow rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing the dialysate flow rate to 700 mL/min is associated with a significant nicrease in dialysis adequacy. Hemodialysis with a dialysate flow rate of 700 mL/min should be considered in selected patients not achieving adequacy despite extended treatment times and optimized blood flow rate.
authors.affiliation: Artificial Kidney Unit, Bethesda Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea. hsmin@dau.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Hye Sook
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Min
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D015314:Dialysis Solutions / Q000737:chemistry*; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods*; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000523:psychology*; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015314:Dialysis Solutions; D014508:Urea; D003404:Creatinine; D011188:Potassium
keywords: Fatigue; Hemodialysis Solutions; Renal Dialysis; Treatment Outcome; Urea