[Clinical evaluation of 12 months of biofiltration in an elderly group]

Biofiltration (BF) was performed on 8 elderly uraemic patients (mean age 73.75 +/- 8.72 years; dialytic age 75.00 +/- 38.42 months) to improve cardiovascular stability and to reduce the dialytic session time. Small molecules (nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid, phosphorus) depuration, heamogasanalysis and PA monitoring, were compared against previous datum obtained by the same group that had undergoing acetate dialysis (AC. HD) for a year. Small molecules showed no significant differences; in BF the incidence of symptomatic hypotensions and the dialytic session time were reduced (30% and 30 min. respectively), with a better metabolic acidosis correction versus AC.HD. Our results showed that BF is better than AC.HD in elderly uraemic patients.