Successful hemodialysis for acute renal failure in late pregnancy.

The occurrence of an acute renal failure during pregnancy does not necessarily imply the termination of the gestation. A 21-year-old pregnant woman was successfully dialyzed because of an acute azotemia developing in the 27th week of pregnancy. After repeated hemodialysis treatments the renal function recovered and the patient gave birth to a healthy child at full term. It is suggested that hemodialysis should be performed as often as possible (twice daily) in order to avoid any dramatic changes of the serum chemistry and the fluid content of the body. Furthermore, such a regimen allows the regular intake of calories, which is considered as especially important in such an event.