Grams to milliequivalents: a concise guide to adjusting hemodialysate composition

Dialysate chemistry can be confusing to hemodialysis practitioners who do not need to regularly manipulate chemical equations. To understand dialysate chemistry, hemodialysis personnel need to understand the similarities and differences between dialysate levels and blood levels of clinically relevant solutes. Some familiarity with solute transport mechanisms working across the dialyzer membrane is also necessary. Finally, practitioners need to know the common units of measurement for dialysate constituents and how to calculate the appropriate amounts of salts to add to concentrate when a standard dialysate formula does not fit the needs of a particular patients. This article explains the commonly used units of measure for dialysate components and describes how to calculate the exact amount of salts to be added to dialysate concentrate in order to increase final dialysate solute levels by predictable amounts.