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Hypotension Essay

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Patients with hypotension usually manifest with lightheadedness, weakness, fatigue, anxiety, vertigo, frank syncope, seizure like episodes, paleness, sweating, abdominal and chest pain, muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting, and dyspnea, although occasionally some patients may be asymptomatic. Vagal symptoms, encompassing yawning, sighing, and hoarseness may be observed before the fall in blood pressure is noticed (3 of 1).

Quality of life and patient’s sense of well-being are also adversely affected by hypotension. As a consequence of the undesirable symptoms of hypotension, patients may tend to discontinue their hemodialysis treatment prematurely. Cerebrovascular insufficiency (transient ischemic attacks, cerebrovascular accidents) and cardiovascular instability (myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias) may further complicate hypotension during dialysis. It may also contribute to chronic overhydration owing to an inability to attain a proper target …show more content…

The National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) and European Best Practice guidelines define IDH as the presence of a decrease in systolic BP ≥ 20 mm Hg or a decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≥ 10 mm Hg, provided that the decrease in BP is accompanied with clinical symptoms and need for nursing interventions (1 of 1). In the Hemodialysis Study (HEMO Study), IDH was defined as hypotension requiring either saline infusion of ultrafiltration (UF) rate or blood flow reduction (HEMO STUDY NEJM).

IDH occurs in in 15-30% of conventional dialysis treatments and in 35% of other extracorporeal procedures like therapeutic apheresis. Given the increasing number of elderly and diabetic patients in the HD population, the incidence of acute IDH has reached up to 50%. Prevalence of the chronic form of dialysis hypotension, specific for long-term dialyzed patients, is estimated to occur in 3-5% of treated individuals

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