Abstract
We studied the availability for NAHD of six commercially available dialyzers, (A) KF-101® (EVAL), (B) B2-150® (PMMA), (C) C-DAK 3500® (cellulose acetate), (D) AM-10H®, (E) ALF-10®, (F) AM-20T® (D, E, F: cuprophan), by means of the macroscopic evaluation of the remaining blood volume in the dialyzer after HD. The subjects were 12 chronic HD patients with active bleeding diseases.
As a result, we ascertained the capability of NAHD in dialyzers A, B, D and F, especially in F. The remaining blood volume in F was significantly less than those in the other dialyzers. Thus, we attempted long-term NAHD (more than three months) with dialyzer F in five patients, and we could obtain a decrease in bleeding episodes or in the amount of blood transfusion without any side effects.
F is made for patients with high hematocrit and has a larger diameter (300μm) than the others (about 200μm). These results indicate that the diameter of the fibers is a more important factor than the material of the fiber for NAHD.
