The Influence of Colloid Osmotic Pressure on Hydrostatic Pressures in High- and Low-Flux Hemodialyzers.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between hydrostatic trans-membrane pressure (TMPh ) and colloid osmotic pressure (COP) in low-flux (LF) and high-flux (HF) dialyzers. Hydrostatic pressures were measured in dialyzers distinguished by their ultrafiltration coefficient Kuf (16 and 85 mL/h/mm Hg) under constant dialysate flow and variable blood flow (Qb ) ranging from 0 to 400 mL/min using (i) alginate (70 kDa) dissolved in dialysate, (ii) diluted, undiluted, and concentrated plasma, or (iii) whole blood at different hematocrit, all in absence of ultrafiltration (UF). For a given fluid, TMPh linearly increased with increasing Qb . The intercept of the linear TMPh to Qb relationship correlated with measured COP with an average bias of 1.00 ± 2.26 mm Hg and a concordance correlation coefficient of 0.98. The slope of the linear TMPh to Qb relationship increased with increasing sample viscosity and was much larger in HF dialyzers under otherwise identical operating conditions, most likely because of increased internal filtration. The TMPh to Qb relationship measured in dialyzers in absence of UF can be described by the intercept related to measured COP and the slope related to internal filtration. This relationship could be of interest to estimate internal filtration and COP under in vivo conditions.