Cardiac arrhythmias in chronic renal failure? Holter monitoring during dialysis and everyday activity at home.

25 patients undergoing regular haemodialysis for chronic renal failure underwent Holter ECG monitoring for a continuous 48-hour period covering dialysis and the intermediate period of everyday activity at home. A low dialysate potassium concentration (1.7 mEq/l) was used. Clinically significant arrhythmias (greater than 100 ventricular extrasystoles/24 h) were found in only 1 patient and there were no complex ventricular arrhythmias. Benign atrial arrhythmias occurred in 22 patients (88%). Haemodialysis had no influence on type or frequency of arrhythmias.