Changes in blood acetaldehyde concentrations during acetate haemodialysis

Hyperacetataemia during acetate haemodialysis has been associated with the development of a variety of unpleasant symptoms, although a direct toxic effect of acetate is hard to prove. Acetaldehyde, which is produced during the metabolism of ethanol to acetate, has various toxic effects including some of those reported during acetate dialysis such as nausea, headache and palpitations. Using a novel, recently developed method we studied blood acetaldehyde concentrations during acetate dialysis in 15 patients and found significant increases in five, with a mean peak value in these patients of 1.36 mumol/l (normal less than 0.4 mumol/l). These five patients also developed high blood acetate concentrations during a subsequent acetate dialysis and showed a significant correlation between blood acetaldehyde and acetate concentrations (r = 0.55, P less than 0.05). Blood acetaldehyde did not change during bicarbonate dialysis in these patients. Our results suggest that significant accumulation of acetaldehyde may occur during acetate dialysis, especially in those patients whose metabolic capacity for acetate is somehow impaired, and that acetaldehyde may contribute to some of the symptoms previously ascribed to 'acetate' intolerance.