FLUID RECRUITMENT FROM SHELL TISSUES OF THE BODY DURING HEMODIALYSIS

Patients with kidney failure are prone to accumulate fluids within the superficial tissues, leading to a puffiness of the face, hands, and f eet. After dialysis these symptoms disappear. It was the aim of this s tudy to quantify these changes. With the help of A-mode ultrasound in 49 patients (20 females, 29 males) the tissue thickness in the forehea d and tibia was measured during dialysis. In the forehead the tissue t hickness before dialysis was 4.01 mm (females) and 3.87 mm in the male s, decreasing continuously during dialysis by 13.6% and 12.8% respecti vely (P < 0.001). In the tibia the tissue thickness was 3.87 mm (femal es) and 3.07 mm (males) and decreased by 12.8% and 23.9% respectively. The sex difference was significant (P < 0.05). From these values it w as calculated that 45% of fluid withdrawn came from the superficial sh ell tissues of the body. It was concluded that these tissues serve as water stores in the interdialytic phase.