Hemodialysis without systemic anticoagulation: a prospective randomized trial to evaluate 3 strategies in patients at risk of bleeding

PLoS One. 2014 May 13;9(5):e97187. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097187. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Objective: In this clinical trial, we aimed to compare three means of performing chronic hemodialysis in patients with contra-indication to systemic heparinization.

Methods: This open-label monocentric randomized « n-of-one » trial, conducted in a single tertiary care center, recruited chronic hemodialysis patients with a contra-indication to systemic heparinization for at least 3 consecutive sessions. All patients underwent hemodialysis with an AN69ST dialyzer, and were administered three alternative dialysis procedures in a random sequence: intermittent saline flushes, constant saline infusion, or pre-dialysis heparin coating of the membrane. The primary outcome was the need to interrupt the dialysis session because of clotting events due to either (i) a complete coagulation of the circuit; (ii) a partial coagulation of the circuit; (iii) a>50% rise over baseline in the venous pressure.

Results: At the end of the inclusion period (May, 2007 to December, 2008), the number of patients to include (n=75) was not reached: only 46 patients were included and underwent randomization. The study was terminated, and statistical analysis took into account 224 hemodialysis sessions performed in 44 patients with analyzable data. Heparin adsorption was associated with a significant reduction of the need to interrupt the dialysis session because of clotting events: odds ratio 0.3 (CI 95% 0.2 to 0.6; p<0.001, versus intermittent saline flushes). Heparin adsorption was also associated with higher odds for performing >3 h dialysis sessions and for having complete blood restitution. There were no significant effects of the dialysis procedure on weight loss, online ionic dialysance, and adverse events.

Conclusion: Heparin-coated AN69ST dialysis membrane is a safe and effective method to avoid or delay per-dialytic clotting events in patients with contra-indication to systemic anticoagulation. However, results are not generalizable safely to patients with active bleeding, since weak heparinemia, not assessed in this study, may occur.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00473109.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anticoagulants*
  • Contraindications
  • Hemodiafiltration / methods
  • Hemorrhage / prevention & control*
  • Humans
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Odds Ratio
  • Paris
  • Renal Dialysis / methods*
  • Sodium Chloride / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Anticoagulants
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Sodium Chloride

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00473109

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a research grant from the Département à la Recherche Clinique et au Développement, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, which was also the sponsor of the study (CRC 05 032), and AURA (Association pour l’Utilisation du Rein Artificiel). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.