ARE NERVE-CONDUCTION STUDIES USEFUL FOR MONITORING THE ADEQUACY OF RENAL DIALYSIS

When hemodialysis was first used clinically, a peripheral neuropathy f requently emerged. The discovery that sufficient dialysis time would p revent the emergence of symptomatic neuropathy led to the routine use of nerve conduction studies (NCS) to monitor the ''adequacy'' of dialy sis. Modern dialysis practice has evolved since then, and the patient population is markedly different. This report addresses the question o f whether there is evidence to indicate that routine use of NCS is hel pful to monitor the adequacy of present-day dialysis. A critical revie w of the available literature reveals that there is insufficient evide nce to allow one to answer the question. (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, I nc.