Strategies for improving hemodynamic stability in cardiac-compromised dialysis patients.

In hemodialysis patients, structural changes at all levels of the cardiovascular system are common. The presence of these cardiovascular changes is a risk factor for the development of intradialytic hypotension. This explains the clinical observation that the incidence of symptomatic hypotension is high in elderly hemodialysis patients, who often have a history of long-standing hypertension and atherosclerosis, and in hemodialysis patients with cardiovascular disease. With an increasing number of cardiovascular compromised dialysis patients, special attention should be given to this group of patients. As the age of patients on hemodialysis increases steadily, it is a challenge to provide comfortable treatment in these patients by reducing the incidence of symptomatic hypotensive periods. This article describes the use of relatively new and simple clinical maneuvers to reduce the incidence of symptomatic hypotension.