Sevag Demirjian, MD: Improving Dialysis for ICU Patients

A new analysis of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) showed small solute clearance represented by urea reduction ratio (URR) was higher in dialysis treatments with dialysate flow rates of 300 compared to 600 mL/min.

A team, led by Sevag Demirjian, MD, Cleveland Clinic, presented new data during the 2022 American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Annual Meeting in Orlando how patients requiring bedside intermittent dialysis.

The study included dialysis treatments with prescribed and completed 4 hour treatments with achieved blood flow rate of 400 ml/min.

The results show the mean URR was significantly different between the dialysate flow rate 300/F160 and dialysate flow rate 600/F160 groups (.69 vs .72; P = .03). However the mean URR was similar between dialysate flow rate 300/F250 and dialysate flow rate 600/F160 (.71 vs .72; P = .17).

The difference was likely offset by the use of larger dialyzer.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Demirjian explained why the findings were crucial and could drive better decisions regarding dialysis in a hospital setting.

He also discussed how dialysis is being used currently in hospital settings and whether there needs to be changes made to the process.