ADEQUACY OF DIALYSIS AND NUTRITIONAL-STATUS IN HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS

Twenty-three nondiabetic end-stage renal failure patients on hemodialy sis were studied for adequacy of dialysis and nutritional status. Midw eek predialysis blood urea nitrogen was 27.1+/-6.4 mmol/l of urea. KT/ V, according to urea kinetic modelling, was 1.21+/-0.22 and mean norma lized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) was 1.1 5+/-0.23 g/kg/day. Only 1 patient had a KT/V less than 1 and 4 patients had an nPCR less than 1 g/kg/day. No correlation was found between the different nutritional p arameters. All patients had normal serum albumin. However, some of the patients could be classified as severely malnourished when parameters such as body weight (2 patients), triceps skinfold (5) and total lymp hocyte count (3) were taken into account. No correlation was found bet ween adequacy of dialysis and the different nutritional parameters. Fu rthermore, when patients were divided into low and normal KT/V, no dif ferences were found in their nPCR. We conclude that a global assessmen t of the nutritional status is required in hemodialysis patients, and at least in patients with an acceptable KT/V, nPCR is not dependent on the adequacy of dialysis.