A Simplified Procedure to Compute Dialysis Time and Frequency by Means of Urea Kinetics

A simplified urea model is presented based on the concept of the time-averaged deviation (TAD) of the blood urea concentration and the introduction of an effective urea generation rate. The increase in the interdialytic blood urea concentration delta c is specific for the individual patient and includes the urea generation rate, distribution volume and residual kidney clearance. By measuring delta c of the largest interdialytic interval of the week the treatment frequency and duration can be calculated. Even for larger residual clearances Kr less than or equal to 5 ml/min this calculated treatment time does not differ by more than 5 min from the result of the exact urea kinetics. In vivo estimation of the urea clearances versus blood flow for the dialyzer types used is necessary for the application of urea modelling in clinical practice.