Anticoagulación en hemodiálisis con dosis única de heparina de bajo peso molecular.

The aim of this work was to compare the benefits and problems of low molecular weight heparin use in chronic hemodialysis, compared to conventional heparin. We studied 35 patients that received low molecular weight heparin (Enoxaparine, molecular weight 4000) during 115 consecutive hemodialysis procedures and conventional heparin during the subsequent 35 procedures. We assess the heparin dose, partial thromboplastin time before dialysis and at 3 and 120 min during the procedure, arterio-venous fistula compression time, clot formation in the circuit and residual volume of filters. Median total dose of conventional heparin was 6289 U (range 3000-10000) compared to 5555 U (range 2000-8000) of low molecular weight heparin. When the dose was calculated per kg of body weight, it was lower for low molecular weight heparin than for conventional heparin (87.8 U (range 33-100) vs 100 U (range 50-176)). Partial thromboplastin time achieved was lower with low molecular weight heparin, compared with conventional heparin, at 3 (64.26 vs 125.2 sec) and 120 min (39.1 vs 84.45 sec). Clot formation, arteriovenous fistula compression time and residual volume of filters were similar for both types of heparin. It is concluded that a single dose of low molecular weight heparin simplifies anticoagulation during hemodialysis, modifies less the partial thromboplastin time and does not alter filter re-utilization.