Pentoxifylline does not prevent haemodialysis induced neutropaenia or hypoxaemia

The aim of the study was to determine if oral pentoxifylline prevented dialysis induced hypoxaemia and neutropaenia. Fifteen stable chronic haemodialysis patients were routinely dialysed using either a cuprophane or cellulose acetate membrane. Bloods for white blood count (WCC) and pO2 were taken at time 0, 20, 80, 140 and 200 min. The procedure was repeated in the same patients 2 h after the ingestion of 400 mg of pentoxifylline. There was a highly significant drop in WCC at time 20 min and pO2 over the dialysis period, which was not prevented by pentoxifylline. Pentoxifylline levels taken at time 0 in 11 patients were in the therapeutic range and it is concluded that pentoxifylline does not prevent dialysis induced neutropaenia or hypoxaemia.