Partial substitution of sodium lactate for sodium acetate in the bath fluid for hemodialysis.

To the authors knowledge, lactate (LA) has never been used in hemodialysis concentrates. A new concentrate has been designed in which a low acetate (AC) concentration is complemented with LA up to standard quantities of buffer with the aim of minimizing the side effects of AC. In 14 classically AC-intolerant hemodialysis patients (low body surface area of 1.47 +/- 0.15 m2, decrease of serum bicarbonate level during hemodialysis by 2 mmol/L or more, and postdialysis hyperacetatemia of greater than 7.0 mmol/L) a concentrate with LA was used (Na, 138; K, 1.5; Ca, 1.75; Mg, 0.75; Cl, 109.5; AC, 17.5; and D,L-lactate, 17.5 mmol/L) and compared with the same bath with only AC as a buffer (35 mmol/L). Patients were blindly and randomly assigned to either the AC or the LA bath during six hemodialyses. Blood gases, AC, and L-LA levels were measured before and after dialysis. The number of symptomatic hypotension episodes and other symptoms such as vomiting, headache, or cramps were recorded in each dialysis. The postdialysis pH showed the same increase with both concentrates. The AC dialysis caused a significant decrease in PCO2 (26.05 +/- 2.48 versus 34.37 +/- 2.24 mm Hg; p less than 0.001) and bicarbonate level (15.84 +/- 2.12 versus 19.82 +/- 1.45 mmol/L; p less than 0.001). Dialysis with LA showed a smaller decrease in PCO2 (31.60 +/- 2.00 versus 35.45 +/- 2.25 mm Hg; p less than 0.01), and the bicarbonate level remained stable (19.43 +/- 1.85 versus 20.02 +/- 1.91 mmol/L; NS). Final acetatemia was lower in LA dialysis (3.12 +/- 1.6 versus 9.73 +/- 1.6 mmol/L; p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)