Effect of a Calcium Infusion on the Vascular Stability during Hemodialysis

Abstract

In order to test the hypothesis that higher, serum calcium levels in hemofiltration (HF) patients, as compared to hemodialysis (HD) patients, might be a contributing factor for the better vascular stability during HF, a calcium infusion was given during HD. Serum calcium concentrations, plasma catecholamines, blood pressure, and clinical incidents were monitored leading to the following results: (1) An increase in the arterial serum calcium concentration from 4.04 ± 0.52 to 5.74 ± 0.42 mEq/1 did not generally raise the plasma catecholamines and the blood pressure in HD patients. (2) In spite of a slight reduction of hypotensive episodes during HD with calcium infusion leading to higher levels of calcium than in HF, the incidence of hypotension was still less frequent during HF. (3) Therefore it seems unlikely that the higher calcium level during HF plays a very important role with regard to improved vascular stability.