Acute effects of hemodialysis on lung function in patients with end-stage renal disease

Impaired lung function in hemodialysis patients may be caused by an underlying pulmonary disease; however, the impact of uremia and the effects of dialysis treatment are not well understood. Our investigation aimed to characterize the acute effects of bicarbonate hemodialysis using membranes differing in biocompatibility on various parameters of lung function in unselected uremic patients maintained on regular hemodialysis. Fourteen clinically stable hemodialysis patients without acute lung disease were included in the study. Restrictive lung disease was present in eight of 14 cases and obstructive lung disease in one patient. A cellulose dialyzer membrane and a synthetic high-flux dialyzer membrane were each tested twice (two sessions one week apart). Spirometry (VCmax, FEV1, FEF(25-75%), PEF) was carried out before and after hemodialysis. Resistance was determined with the interrupter technique and with the impulse oscillation system (R5Hz, R20Hz) before, during and after hemodialysis. Our comparative investigation of two dialyzer membranes found that bioincompatibility of dialysis had no acute adverse effects on lung function in our heterogeneous population of dialysis patients. None of our patients experienced bronchoconstriction or aggravation of obstructive lung disease as a result of poor biocompatibility of the dialyzer membrane. Spirometric data and resistance measurements by two different methods showed no relevant changes during the dialysis procedure. There was no correlation between lung function parameters and interdialytic changes in body weight or duration on hemodialysis. Regardless of the membrane used, the hemodialysis procedure does not acutely affect lung function in uremic patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Hemodialysis is a safe procedure even in uremic patients with pre-existing lung disease.