First clinical experience with a new concentrate system for dialysis with dry sodium chloride.

Clinical investigation of a new concentrate system for preparing the acid concentrate in bicarbonate dialysis was performed to evaluate handling, safety aspects, and correct mixing of the final dialysis fluid. The system is characterized by an acid concentrate prepared from two components: a cartridge containing 1.1 kg dry sodium chloride and a concentrate bag with 500 ml of a highly concentrated solution of electrolytes (KCl, MgCl2, CaCl2) and acetic acid. The investigation comprised a total of 142 treatments. The concentrate system was well accepted by the clinical staff and considered safe and easy to handle. Marginal deviations in electrolyte concentration of the dialysis fluid relative to set values were observed, but were considered to lack biologic or clinical relevance. The new concentrate system will facilitate the handling of dialysis concentrates and provide a convenient means for individual tailoring of the dialysis fluid composition.