On-line dialysate infusion to estimate absolute blood volume in dialysis patients

It was the aim to measure the distribution volume and the elimination of ultra-pure dialysate in stable hemodialysis patients during on-line hemodiafiltration (HDF). Dialysate was automatically infused as a volume indicator using standard on-line HDF equipment. Indicator concentration was noninvasively measured in the arterial blood-line (using the blood volume monitor, Fresenius Medical Care, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany), and its time course was analyzed to obtain the elimination rate and the distribution volume V(t) at the time of dilution. Blood volume at treatment start (V0) was calculated accounting for the degree of intradialytic hemoconcentration. Five patients (two females) were studied during 15 treatments. Two to six measurements using indicator volumes ranging from 60 to 210 ml were done in each treatment. V0 was 4.59 ± 1.15 L and larger than the volume of 4.08 ± 0.48 L estimated from anthropometric relationships. The mean half-life of infused volume was 17.2 ± 29.7 min. Given predialysis volume expansion V0 was consistent with blood volume determined from anthropometric measurements. Information on blood volume could substantially improve volume management in hemodialysis patients and fluid therapy in intensive care patients undergoing extracorporeal blood treatment. The system has the potential for complete automation using proper control inputs for BVM and HDF modules of the dialysis machine.