Nocturnal hemodialysis can improve anemia treatment in hemodialysis patients

Objective To compare effect of nocturnal hemodialysis(NHD) versus conventional hemodialysis (CHD) on anemia treatment in hemodialysis patients, to investigate whether the treatment of anemia was improved in patients receiving of nocturnal hemodialysis (NHD) when compared with conventional hemodialysis (CHD). Methods A total of 39 patients with NHD undergoing dialysis in Chang zheng Hospital, Naval Military Medical University from February 2009 to December 2017, were selected, of which 21 patients with CHD were changed into those with NHD. By matching gender, age and initial hemoglobin levels of patients, based on time sequence, 60 patients with CHD were selected. General condition, ferritin, transferrin saturation, C-reactive protein (CRP), and the interdialytic doses of and ferric preparation and transfusion event rate were compared between the patients in the two groups. Results There was no significant difference in CRP, ferratin and transferrin saturation at baseline between the NHD and CHD groups during enrollment (P>0.05). The EPO dose at the final follow-up in the NHD group was lower than that in the CHD group (103.4±53.6 IU·kg^-1·w^-1 vs 126.34±54.9 IU·kg^-1·w^-1, P<0.05), and the ferric preparation use rate in the NHD group was lower than that in the CHD group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in CRP, ferratin and transferrin saturation between the two groups. For those 21 patients who changed dialysis model, the hemoglobin level at the final follow-up was higher than that at baseline (P<0.05); the ferritin, transferrin saturation and CRP had no significant difference from those before changing the dialysis model (P>0.05); and the mean EPO dose had no significant difference compared to that at 1 year before changing the treatment model (106±34.6 IU·kg^-1·w^-1 vs 110±30.9 IU·kg^-1·w^-1). Conclusions Compared with conventional hemodialysis, nocturnal hemodialysis can reduce the doses of EPO and intravenous ferric preparation in dialysis patients, and achieve the improved control of anemia in hemodialysis patients.