[Cardiac effects of the flow in the arteriovenous fistula. Study in 66 chronic hemodialysis patients].

The effect on the heart of blood flow in the arterio-venous fistula created for haemodialysis was investigated in 66 patients with chronic renal impairment. Blood flow was measured by pulsed Döppler flowmetry. A significant (p less than 0.001) correlation was established between the signs of cardiac insufficiency and the fistula blood flow x fistula duration product. The arterio-venous fistula therefore constitutes a cardiac risk which should be quantified in chronically uraemic patients undergoing repeated haemodialysis.