NONOCCLUSIVE INTESTINAL ISCHEMIA AS A COM PLICATION OF HEMODIALYSIS

A 52-year-old man on haemodialysis treatment for chronic glomeruloneph ritis also had a nephrotic syndrome, hypercholesterolaemia, severe art erial hypertension and peripheral vascular disease in stage IIb. He al so was a heavy smoker. Following a nonspecific diarrhoeal illness, whi ch caused haemoconcentration, he developed abdominal pain and fever. W BC count (29 000/mul) and serum lactate level (18.2 mmol/l) were eleva ted, and there were clinical signs of lower abdominal peritonitis. Lap arotomy revealed multiple ischaemic segments. The arteries were not th rombosed but had severe atheromatous changes. There is an increasing i ncidence of such nonocclusive intestinal ischaemia because there are m ore elderly people and more patients with high-risk factors among thos e requiring dialysis.