What is hemodiafiltration?

Hemodiafiltration (GDF) is a method of renal replacement therapy that involves a combination of diffusion and convection to enhance the removal of substances with small to medium molecular weights.

 

How does hemodiafiltration work?

In conventional hemodialysis, blood is pumped through an artificial dialyzer (kidney) using a blood pump on the dialysis machine. In this case, the blood moves in one direction through an artificial dialyzer, while the dialysis fluid used to purify the blood goes the opposite way through the dialyzer, but they do not mix.

An artificial dialyzer consists of many fibers, and in fact there are holes in these fibers that allow toxins from the blood to pass into the dialysis fluid.

However, not all substances pass through the dialyzer membrane.Thus, important cells and compounds that the body needs, such as red blood cells and proteins, do not cross the artificial membrane of the dialyzer. While other smaller substances pass from the blood to the dialysis fluid, such as urea, creatinine, and potassium, as they are only needed in small amounts in the blood. Excess water in the blood is also removed through an artificial dialyzer.

Toxic substances with blood pass through the artificial dialysis membrane into the dialysis fluid and are discharged through the drain on the back of the dialysis machine.

During hemodiafiltration, the device removes more water from the blood than during conventional hemodialysis. This extra fluid is removed, permanently replaced with an ultra-pure electrolyte solution that is produced by the machine, and then poured into the bloodstream during the procedure. Due to this, an artificial dialyzer removes more toxins than conventional dialysis.

 

Indications for hemodiafiltration

Hemodiafiltration allows for the most effective renal replacement therapy. This is a modern and highly effective method of extracorporeal blood purification, which is used for various critical conditions. As a replacement solution, specialists use dialysate, devoid of harmful and toxic compounds. Additional filtration is used to clean it.

As a result, it is possible to obtain the purest replacement solution, which is vital for patients with the following pathologies:

• kidney failure;
• sepsis;
• DIC-syndrome;
• CRASH syndrome;
• multiple organ failure.

The above diseases, in which hemodiafiltration is used, directly threaten the patient’s life. It is extremely important to perform timely replacement therapy in order to avoid serious complications and preserve the functionality of internal organs.

 

What are the benefits of GDF over hemodialysis?

• Increased tolerance to fluid loss.
• Better blood pressure control. A lower number of episodes of hypotension (low blood pressure) are recorded.
• Lower number of cramps during the procedure.
• Lower frequency of reports of nausea and vomiting during the procedure.
• Lower frequency of head pain during the procedure.
• Lower heart rate of arrhythmias.
• Better control of acidosis is achieved.

Patients who underwent GDF reported much better health than before the procedure. As a rule, they were not as tired as usual after classical hemodialysis. In some cases, patients reported a reduction in joint pain.