Detrimental effects of ultrafiltration on diffusion in coils.

Previous studies in dialysis coils have suggested decreases in diffusive transport with ultrafiltration. The present studies were designed to test whether increasing blood channel width, alterations in concentration gradients, or molecular sieving at high ultrafiltration rates might explain the phenomenon. Increases in blood channel width and molecular sieving can account only in part for the decreases in diffusion observed. The results suggest that ultrafiltration causes alterations in transmembrane concentration gradients from blood to bath presumably associated with solute accumulation on the bath side of the membrane or may alter bath flow kinetics. Increases in total dialysance with ultrafiltration would be even greater if decreases in diffusive transport could be prevented.