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Measurement of vascular access flow (QVA) has been suggested as a method of choice for vascular access quality (VAQ) monitoring. Besides traditional duplex Doppler, a number of bedside methods based mostly on the Krivitski principle of QVA evaluation from recirculation at reversed needles (RX), have been developed. This work compares ultrasonic dilution (UD), taken as a reference, HD01, Transonic Systems; duplex Doppler (DD); thermodilution (TD), BTM, Fresenius; optodilutional RX measurement (ORX), Critline III, R-mode, HemaMetrics; direct optodilutional QVA evaluation from jumpwise changes in ultrafiltration rate at both normal and reversed needles connection (OABF), Critline III, ABF-mode; and direct transcutaneous optodilutional QVA evaluation (TQA), Critline III TQA.Firstly, reproducibility of each method was assessed by duplicate measurement at unchanged conditions. This was followed by paired measurement with each method performed at controlled change in relevant measurement condition (two different extracorporeal blood flows in UD and TD, changed sensor position in TQA). Finally paired measurements by each method and the reference method performed at identical conditions were evaluated to assess accuracy of each method. The simple Krivitski formula QVA= QB(1–RX)/RX was used wherever manual QVA calculation was needed.Very high reproducibility was seen in UD, both for measurement at the same extra corporeal blood flow (QB) (correlation coefficient of duplicate measurement r= 0.9702, n= 58) and for measurement at two different QB (r= 0.9735, n= 24), justifying its current status of a reference method in QVA evaluation. Slightly lower reproducibility of TD measurement at the same QB (r= 0.9197, n= 40) and at two different QB (r= 0.8508, n= 168) can be easily overcome by duplicate measurement with averaging. High correlation of TD vs. UD (r= 0.9543, n= 54) makes TD a viable clinical alternative in QVA evaluation. Consistently different QVA obtained at two different QB should prompt closer investigation of anatomical conditions of the access. Use of the simple Krivitski formula in TD (which measures total recirculation, i.e. sum of access recirculation and cardiopulmonary recirculation) brings about underestimation of QVA, which progressively increases from QVA of about 600 mL/min up. Good correlation, although with significant scatter (r= 0.8691, n= 27) was found between the DD-and UD-based QVA. By far the worst reproducibility at the same QB from among the investigated methods was found in ORX (0.6430, n= 23). Also the correlation of ORX vs. UD was lower than in other methods (r= 0.702, n=33) and general overestimation of QVA by about 25% was noted. Correlation of OABF vs. UD (r= 0.6957, n= 26) was slightly better than that of ORX and it gave less overestimated values. The TQA method showed very high reproducibility (r= 0.9712, n= 85), however only for unchanged sensor position. Correlation of QVA measured at two different sensor positions was much worse (r= 0.7255, n= 22). Correspondence of TQA vs. UD was satisfactory (r= 0.8077, n= 36). Skilled and experienced operators are a must with this method.

Well defined dry weight is a must for adequate UF control during haemodialysis (HD). However, interdialytic weight gain (ΔBW) must not be excessive. ΔBW is closely related to interdialytic thirst which in turn is strongly influenced by postdialysis plasma sodium (CPNapost), but little is known about the desired CpNapost. The points below serve as a basis for establishing this value.a) Thirst is mediated by osmoreceptors.b) A strong correlation has been found between ΔBW and intradialytic increase in plasma sodium but no such correlation exists with the interdialytic increase in plasma urea. This indicates that fluid intake between dialyses depends solely on electrolytes.c) Pre-dialysis plasma sodium in an individual is stable, indicating that the patient is at his “set value” of electrolyte osmolality.d) Half of the potassium removed during HD comes from the extra- and half from the intracellular space.Assuming that it is desirable not to disturb a patient's predialysis osmotic steady state, it can be calculated that the desired CPNapost should be higher than the predialysis value by half of the intradialytic plasma potassium drop, i.e., approx. CPNapost = CPNapre + 1 to 2 mmol/l.

A continuous blood volume monitoring (CBVM) device (Inline Diagnostics, Riverdale, USA) was used to study response to prescribed ultrafiltration during haemodialysis (HD) in 66 stabilised HD patients. Fifty percent of patients showed the expected linear decrease in BV right from the beginning of HD (group 1), 32% exhibited no decrease at all (group 2), while eighteen percent formed the transient group 3 which showed a plateau of varying length after which a decrease occurred. The correct setting of dry weight was verified through evaluation of the ratio of extracellular fluid volume to total body water (VEC/TBW) in 26 patients by means of whole body multifrequency impedometry MFI (Xitron Tech., San Diego, USA) and through measurement of the Vena Cava Inferior diameter (VCID) pre and post HD (in 6 and 5 patients from groups 1 and 3 and from group 2, respectively). The mean VEC/TBW in groups 1 and 3 was 0.56 pre and 0.51 post HD as compared to 0.583 and 0.551 in group 2. VCID decreased on average by 14.1% in groups 1 and 3 but remained stable in group 2. Both findings thus confirmed inadequately high estimation of dry weight. Since CBVM is extremely easy to perform it can be used as a method of choice in detecting inadequately high prescribed dry weight. The status of the cardiovascular system must always be considered before final judgement is made.

The recently introduced continuous blood volume monitoring (CBVM) technique enables real time observation of the blood volume (BV) response to ultrafiltration. This response differs quite widely among patients even under otherwise comparable conditions. Assessing the clinical recordings of over 100 CBVM measurements, identification of a static and a dynamic component of the overall BV reduction was made. Computational analysis of the factors that influence BV response variability was then performed by means of a three-pool model of sodium, potassium, and urea kinetics with the following results. The blood volume profile contains clinically highly interesting yet cummulative information. Except for the small change and flat BV profiles the static component is predominant. From the external factors, the static component of BV reduction during hemodialysis is influenced by the total ultrafiltered volume and by the degree of overhydration. From the patient's internal factors, compliance of his cardiovascular system is dominant. BV is also more reduced in patients with lower values of total plasma protein content and/or lower hematocrit. The BV reduction dynamic component is primarily influenced by the applied ultrafiltration rate. A certain influence is also exerted by the ultrafiltration coefficient of the capillary wall which may vary in different individuals.