Ultrapure Dialysate for Home Hemodialysis?

Use of ultrapure dialysate (bacteria < 0.1 CFU/mL and endotoxin < 0.03 EU/mL) is associated with a reduction in inflammation and morbidity in patients treated with conventional thrice-weekly dialysis. The improved outcomes obtained with more frequent dialysis schedules have reawakened interest in home hemodialysis. More frequent dialysis also appears to reduce inflammation, and whether combining more frequent dialysis with use of ultrapure dialysate will have an additive effect on inflammation and its consequences remains unclear. Routinely producing ultrapure dialysate in a home environment with a conventional hemodialysis machine poses technical challenges related to the design of the equipment and the intermittent nature of hemodialysis. Solutions to these problems include use of a system in which the water-treatment equipment is fully integrated with the dialysis machine, use of dry-powder cartridges or sterile prepackaged liquids for bicarbonate concentrate, and use of a bacteria-retentive and endotoxin-retentive filter for final purification of the dialysate immediately before it enters the dialyzer. Alternatively, ultrapure dialysate may be achieved with newer machines designed specifically for home hemodialysis that use a new batch of dialysate for each treatment. The volume of dialysate available with these machines, however, currently limits their use to short-daily dialysis.