Received December 13, 2006
Accepted on March 20, 2007

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Impact of Hemocontrol on Hypertension, Nursing Interventions, and Quality of Life: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Nephrology Division, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

¹ To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: f.madore{at}umontreal.ca.

	Abstract

Volume overload contributes to the pathogenesis of hypertension in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The Hemocontrol (HC) system (Gambro), which automatically adjusts ultrafiltration rate and dialysate conductivity during dialysis, has been suggested to improve hemodynamic tolerance and thereby facilitate fluid removal. A 6-mo randomized, controlled trial was performed to test the hypothesis that the addition of the HC system to a systematic BP management protocol may lower home BP in comparison with standard HD as primary end point. Secondary end points were the number of nursing interventions during dialysis and health-related quality of life. Complete BP data were available for 36 of the 44 patients who completed the trial. There was a statistically significant overall decrease in systolic BP during the study period (P = 0.005). However, the difference between the HC group and the standard HD group was NS (HC: from 147.8 ± 21.7 to 139.8 ± 16.2 mmHg; standard HD: from 141.9 ± 19.2 to 135.2 ± 9.9 mmHg). The number of HD sessions that required nursing interventions decreased in the HC group, whereas it increased in the standard HD group (HC: 42.9% reduction; standard HD: 35.7% increase; P = 0.04). There was also a significant improvement in health-related quality of life in the HC group but not in the standard HD group. These results suggest that the addition of the HC system to a systematic BP management protocol provides no additional benefit with regard to BP reduction. However, the HC system may improve the patient tolerability to dialysis.