Abstract
Background: Hemodialysis is the most common alternative therapy in chronic renal failure and
inadequate dialysis increases the mortality of patients; thus, the dialysis adequacy in these patients is
important. This study aimed to compare the adequacy if hemodialysis high-flux and low-flux filters in
Hospital Dialysis Centers of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and assess its relation
to other indices for patients with chronic and end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, 42 patients were performed with low-flux and high-flux
filters. So, the patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease, with the rate of ultrafiltration of more
than 3 liters, in the two cross groups underwent hemodialysis with high- and low-flux filters in 2
months. The indicators for measuring the Kt/V in each dialysis and other lab indices at the beginning
and the end of each month were measured and compared using SPSS software.
Findings: At the end of the intervention, significant difference in adequacy of dialysis was observed
between the two groups of high- and low-flux filtration. Although, both groups of patients had
adequacy of dialysis in terms of defined standards, but the findings showed that Kt/V in hemodialysis
significantly was lower in high-flux group (P = 0.013).
Conclusion: This study showed that the high-flux filters in higher volumes of 3 liters of ultrafiltration,
increases the average dialysis adequacy more than the low-flux filters. We suggest future studies to
assess the impact of long-term use of high-flux filters on dialysis efficacy, improved quality of life and
reduced hospitalization rate in hemodialysis patients and its effect on reducing healthcare costs;
patients are thereby cost-benefited in using high-flux filters for long term.
Keywords: End-stage renal disease, Dialysis, Ultrafiltratio
