Post-hemodialysis hypoxia occurs with both biocompatible and bioincompatible dialyzers

Hemodialysis-associated hypoxia has recently been shown to extend into the post-hemodialysis period. To determine whether dialyzer composition affects the occurrence of post-hemodialysis hypoxia, we monitored oxygen saturatio n in 10 clinically stable hemodialysis patients. They were monitored contin uously during hemodialysis and up to 8 hours post-hemodialysis on different days of scheduled therapy, once using biocompatible (low-flux) dialyzers a nd once using bioincompatible (low-flux) dialyzers. A bicarbonate bath was toed with both types of dialyzers. All patients were also monitored for zip to 12 hours on a non-hemodialysis day. Hypoxia was defined as the duration of time in which oxygen saturation was <85% and expressed as seconds of hy poxia per hour of monitoring. The duration of hypoxia was longest post-hemo dialysis compared with dialysis and non-dialysis periods (median, 12 vs. 0 vs. 0 sec/hr, respectively, p = 0.02). Occurrence of hypoxia was not statis tically different in the post-hemodialysis period wizen dialysis with bioin compatible dialyzers was compared with dialysis with biocompatible dialyzer s (median, 32 vs. 61 sec/hr, respectively, p = 0.7). Thus, the occurrence o f post-hemodialysis hypoxia was not prevented by using a biocompatible dial yzer.