Comorbid diseases in patients on dialysis: the impact on anemia.

Patients on dialysis frequently present with a multitude of comorbid diseases. Many of these conditions can either directly aggravate preexisting anemia, or lead to acute or chronic inflammatory or infectious conditions that can lower hemoglobin levels. Awareness of these conditions and their compounding effect on anemia can help nurses when interpreting the results of longitudinal trends in hemoglobin and enable them to intervene proactively to minimize the effect of these conditions on hematological parameters.