Dialysis Disequilibrium Syndrome: A Swell Diagnosis?

Abstract

Dialysis disequilibrium syndrome (DDS) is a known complication of dialysis with a wide spectrum of clinical presentations including self-limiting nausea, to the extreme version of it resulting in coma and death. The differing clinical presentations are the result of the varying severity of increased intracranial pressure. Preventative measures have made its occurrence much less frequent, but its diagnosis should be considered when neurological symptoms are temporally related to dialysis even when preventative measures have been implemented. We report the case of a patient with acute kidney injury (AKI) in the setting of chronic kidney disease (CKD) who developed DDS following initial dialysis despite precautionary measures. J Med Cases. 2014;5(8):437-440 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc1847w