Blood pressure, ventilation and lipid imbalance during hemodialysis: effect of dialysate composition.

Regular hemodialysis with either acetate or bicarbonate dialysate can be associated with the development of hypotension and hypoxemia. Hypotension, which is more commonly observed during acetate dialysis, is usually the result of unfavorable alterations in the cardiac output, the peripheral vascular resistance, or both. Complement-mediated leukocyte embolization and hypoventilation represent the major causes of hypoxemia. No consistent long-term effects on lipid balance have been observed with either dialysate.