Abstract
We have experienced fever during 505 treatments out of total 4681 hemodialyses for six months, except for the cases with commonn cold and infectious diseases. Most of the cases were slightly feverish with 37.0°C to 37.4°C and almost asymptomotic.
Those cases on one company's specific blood tube, however, showed abnormally higher incidence of the fever, 35 times out of 173 treatments (19.7%), including 12 cases with higher fever than 38.0°C.
The incidence was less on single pass system (10.2%), than on recirculation system (14.1%).
Interestingly patients with higher hematocrit seemed to have less incidence of the fever than these with lower hematocrit.
Iatrogenic factor related to medical devices or equipment should be eliminated for better hemodialysis treatment. Additionally hematocrit level seems another important factor of the fever, though the mechanism is still unknown.
