Prevention of intraocular pressure elevations during hemodialysis.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) may rise during hemodialysis sessions in predisposed patients because of a rapid drop in osmolality at the blood compartment. A patient with diabetes had painful ocular episodes during hemodialysis that were associated with an IOP increase. We modified the dialysis parameters to prevent a rapid decrease in osmolality by creating conductivity and ultrafiltration profiles and adding a colloid solution at the beginning of the procedure. After instituting these changes, the patient became asymptomatic and did not have variations in IOP during the dialysis sessions.