Sweating treatment for chronic renal failure.

Sweating was induced in 3 uremic patients in an ordinary bathtub for 3 h per day to examine whether clinically significant amounts of urea could be removed. Blood urea concentrations fell in all 3 patients, and 2 of the patients had improvement in uremic syptoms. Clearances of urea by a forearm collection technique in 2 patients were 20.9 +/- 3.7 and 11.6 +/- 3.9 ml/min. Average sweat volumes were 813 +/- 62 and 566 +/- 160 ml/h. Sodium concentrations were 52 +/- 47 and 76 +/- 12 mEq/l. This removal of urea, water and salt suggests that sweating could be used to treat uremia in conjunction with charcoal hemoperfusion, in patients awaiting vascular access, or during the interdialytic interval in patients with problems with overhydration.