Is it useful to increase dialysate flow rate to improve the delivered Kt?

BMC Nephrology

Table 2 HD treatments at different flow rates

Qd (n patients)	Effective time (min)	Effective Qb (ml/min)	Kt (L)	Kmin
500 ml/min (n= 31)	233.4 (6.5)	376 (29.6)	53.4 (4.6)	232.4 (14.4)
700 ml/min (n= 31)	233 (7.8)	374 (26.4)	55 (4.7) ^c	240.7 (13) ^f
AF (n= 31)	235.8 (15)	379.6 (29.6)	53.2 (3.9)	233.8 (13.2)
400 ml/min (n=22)	233.3 (5.7)	382.3 (18.7)	51.3 (2.3) ^a,b	219.5 (9.6) ^d,e

AF: autoflow. Results with 500, 700 and AF are similar with 31 vs. 22 patients. In comparison with 400 ml/min we only included 22 patients in statistical study (Student’s paired t-test).
^ap<0.04 for Kt 400 ml/min vs. Kt 500 ml/min, ^bp<0.004 for Kt 400 vs. Kt 700 ml/min, ^cp<0.008 for Kt 700 ml/min vs. Kt 500 ml/min and AF, ^dp<0.01 Kmin400 vs. Kmin500 and KminAF, ^dp<0.001 for Kmin400 vs. Kmin700, ^ep<0.001 for Kmin400 vs. Kmin700, ^fp<0.0001 for Kmin700 vs. Kmin500 and AF.

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