Invited comment on papers and posters in Haemodynamic sequelae of arteriovenous fistula

A number of haemodynamic effects are known to occur in patients with congenital and acquired arteriovenous (A-V) fistulas as well as in experimental animals. These effects could be expected to appear even in patients with therapeutic A-V fistulas. Some important changes are: (1) increased velocity of blood flow (2) increased cardiac output (3) increased circulating blood volume (4) increased oxygen content of venous blood (5) high output cardiac failure (6) ‘steal’ of arterial blood pressure (7) venous hypertension (8) dilation and ‘arterialization’ of fistula vein (9) dilation and ‘venization’ of fistula artery (10) ‘endarteritis lenta’ (11) increased skeletal growth.