THE INFERIOR VENA-CAVA DIAMETER AS A MARKER OF DRY-WEIGHT IN CHRONIC HEMODIALYZED PATIENTS

We have previously reported that the diameter of the inferior vena cav a (IVC) reflects the amount of body fluid in hemodialyzed (KD) patient s. The present study was undertaken to depict the criteria of IVC diam eters for determining dry weight (DW) in anuric KD patients. In health y subjects, the maximal diameters during quiet expiration (IVCe) and t he minimal diameters during quiet inspiration (IVCi) were 16.7 +/- 3.2 and 5.7 +/- 5.4 mm, respectively (mean +/- SD). The collapsibility in dex (CI, 1 - IVCi/IVCe), which inversely correlates with the central v enous pressure, was 0.68 +/- 0.29. In anuric HD patients, the IVCe/CI values before and after HD were 14.9 +/- 3.2/0.68 +/- 0.24 and 8.2 +/- 2.3/0.94 +/- 0.09, respectively. IVCe decreased proportionally to the amount of ultrafiltration. In HD patients with hypervolemic pulmonary edema, the IVCe and CI values were 22.4 +/- 2.9 and 0.22 +/- 0.11, re spectively. We proposed that IVCe/CI after HD is 8 +/- 3 mm/0.9 +/- 0. 1 as the markers of DW in anuric HD patients and that an IVCe value gr eater than or equal to 22 mm together with a CI less than or equal to 0.22 implies the warning level of body fluid retention.