Preventing Coagulation of Extracorporeal System During Hemodialysis.

Hemodialysis (HD), from the clinical perspective, involves the HD machine, blood lines or tubing, and a dialyzer that mimics the physiologic action of the kidneys to clear the blood of wastes or by-products. A literature review was performed to identify preventative measures of coagulation during HD treatment. EBSCOhost, Academic Search Premier, MEDLINE, and PubMed were used. Seventy-nine (79) related articles were found. Sixty-one (61) were excluded, and 18 were included in the study. Low-dose/unfractionated heparin, low molecular weight heparin(s), airless tubing system, specially formulated dialyzers, continuous saline flushes, and contact activation inhibitor-AB023, combining heparin-coated dialyzers with intermittent saline flushes, are useful preventive measures. It is important to evaluate the individual needs of each patient in making decisions regarding treatment.