Correlation between plasma sodium acetate concentration and systemic vascular resistances.

Acetate in dialysis fluid induces during haemodialysis a fall in systemic vascular resistance. In patients with hepatic insufficiency, acetate concentrations are higher than in patients without hepatic insufficiency and in such patients vascular sensitivity to acetate is perhaps potentiated by modifications of acid base status. The close inverse correlations between acetate concentrations and systemic vascular resistance are strong indications that acetate is a major factor involved in the genesis of 'dialysis hypotension'.