Red blood cell destruction in single-needle dialysis.

A high incidence of hemolytic episodes has been documented by increased lacticodeshydrogenase levels after dialysis. When symptomatic, these episodes presented frequently with nausea and abdominal or back pain occurring typically in the last hour of the dialysis session. A prospective study, comparing two different access devices (needle and catheter) and three double-pump systems, demonstrated the critical role of the access device configuration. In addition, the neccessity to monitor the pressures in the arterial and venous lines when working with high blood flow rates is also stressed. By comparison, red blood cell destruction is negligible in conventional double-needle dialysis.