Peripheral motor nerve conduction velocities in children undergoing chronic hemodialysis

Peroneal motor nerve conduction velocities (MNCVs) were performed on 58 children aged 20 months to 12 years undergoing chronic hemodialysis. No patient had any clinical manifestations of uremic polyneuropathy. The mean MNCV in 21 children at the onset of dialysis was 42.0 m/sec; significantly slower than the control group of 51.4 +/- 5.3 m/sec (p less than 0.001). 16 studied performed between the 1st and 6th month had a mean MNCV of 43.2 +/- 5.7 m/sec, also slower than the normal controls (p less than 0.001). We conclude that peroneal MNCVs are reduced in most children at the initiation of chronic hemodialysis and do not change significantly during the next 6--12 months and that the routine practice of obtaining such studied is of no value in the clinical management of children undergoing chronic hemodialysis.