Abstract:

BACKGROUND: How to effectively remove uremic toxins, reduce complications and improve the quality of life and long-term prognosis in maintenance hemodialysis patients has been a hot spot.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of high-flux and low-flux polysulfone membrane dialyzers on uremic pruritus and solute remove.
METHODS: Thirty-eight maintenance hemodialysis patients with uremic pruritus were randomly divided into high-flux group and low-flux group. High-flux dialyzer FX60 and low-flux dialyzer F6 were used respectively in the two groups. The dialysis was performed three times a week, once for 4 hours. All the patients were follow-up for one year. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, phosphate, β2-microglobulin and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were tested, and solute clearance rate and Kt/ V value were calculated. The degree of skin itch was evaluated by the visual analogue scale (VAS).
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between the two groups in the decrease of BUN and creatinine (P  > 0.05). But the decreases of phosphate and β2-microglobulin in the high-flux group were higher than that in the low-flux group (P < 0.05). And there was no difference in Kt/V value between the two groups (P > 0.05). After one year, the decrease of PTH in the high-flux group was superior to that in the low-flux group (P  < 0.05), and compared to pretreatment, the skin itch was relieved in both groups (P < 0.05), but the score in the high-flux group was better than that in the low-flux group (P < 0.05). It is indicated that the high-flux dialysis can not only clear the micromolecule toxins, but also increase the clearance of large-middle molecule toxins, and can significantly relieve uremic pruritus.