Common Complications of Dialysis

Dialysis is an important substitutive therapy for patients with End Stage Renal Failure. However, at the same time, it can cause many complications to them.

1. Muscle spasm

In the process of dialysis, especially towards the end of dialysis, the patients often have muscle spasm. It is mainly caused by the following factors: (1) Hypotension. In some cases, the muscle spasm will disappear after the blood pressure recovers normal. Some patients with hypotension do not have muscle spasm at all. (2) Some patients’ weight is lower than their dry body weight. In the terminal stage of dialysis, the patients often have persistent muscle spasm, which may last for several hours after dialysis. (3) The low-sodium dialysis fluid can lead to Hyponatremia, which can contract blood vessels thus causing muscle spasm.

2. Arhythmia

In dialysis, the patients usually have heart enlargement, Ischemic cardiomyopathy, electrolyte disturbance or fluctuation of blood pressure and so on, which can cause arrhythmia.

3. Hypotension

Hypotension is a common complication of dialysis with 25~30% of incidence. It is mainly caused by the following factors: (1) Insufficient blood volume. (2) Taking antihypertensive drugs, especially medicines to widen blood vessels can dilate peripheral vascular. (3) Hyperfiltration makes the body weight decline by more than 5% of that before dialysis. In addition, dehydration too fast also is very likely to lead to hypotension. (4) The patients use low-sodium dialysis fluid, which can cause sodium in blood serum to decline. As a result, plasma osmotic pressure will decline. In addition, the sodium acetate in the acetate dialysis fluid can dilate blood vessels and make myocardial contractility to decline. (5) The disorder of autonomic nervous function is also an important cause in causing hypotension.


As dialysis can cause a series of complications to patients with End Stage Renal Failure, it is very important and necessary for them to choose a better therapy when their disease condition permitting.