LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT HEPARIN

Haemodialysis is a life-sustaining therapy for individuals with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The treatment involves the passage of the individual’s blood through an extracorporeal circuit, and anticoagulation is required to prevent clot formation and interruption of the haemodialysis session. Thrombosis in the dialysis lines may result in suboptimal dialysis and thus reduce dialysis efficiency. Similarly, coating of the dialysis membrane by microthrombi can potentially impair dialysis adequacy. Traditionally, anticoagulation during haemodialysis has been achieved using unfractionated heparin (UFH) but more recently, a variety of low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) have been shown to have similar or better risk-benefit ratios when used as systemic anticoagulants for other conditions in the non-kidney disease population.This work was aimed to compare the result of the use of UFHs versus tinzaparin a (LMWH) in ESRD patients on regular HD regarding lipid profile, platelets count and functions, bleeding profile and degree of extent atherosclerosis.In summary our study demonstrates that there were no statistically significant differences when comparing the result of the use of UFH versus tinzaparin a (LMWH) for anticoagulation of the extracorporeal circuit during haemodialysis treatment regarding lipid profile, platelets count and functions, bleeding profile and degree of extent atherosclerosis.Indicating that LMWH can be used successfully and safely for anticoagulation of the extracorporeal circuit during haemodialysis treatments. However the significant benefit of LMWH over UFH in this setting is unclear. Clearly, this area deserves further careful studies of the risks and benefits of using LMWH for anticoagulation during haemodialysis.