Aluminium toxicity in people on dialysis
Aluminium toxicity in people on dialysis is a problem for people on haemodialysis. Aluminium is often found in unfiltered water used to prepare dialysate. The dialysis process does not efficiently remove excess aluminium from the body, so it may build up over time. Aluminium is a potentially toxic metal, and aluminium poisoning may lead to mainly three disorders: aluminium-induced bone disease, microcytic anemia and neurological dysfunction (encephalopathy). Such conditions are more prominently observed in people with chronic kidney failure and especially in people on haemodialysis.
| Aluminium toxicity in people on dialysis | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Aluminium toxicity |
| Symptoms | Acute or subacute changes in mental status, proximal muscle weakness, bone pain, numerous nonhealing fractures, and early osteoporosis. |
| Causes | High levels of aluminium in water used to prepare dialysate. |
| Diagnostic method | Blood aluminium concentrations greater than 100 mcg/L. |
| Treatment | Avoiding aluminum exposure and chelation. |
| Medication | Deferoxamine. |
| Frequency | 2.2% among dialysis patients. |
About 5–10 mg of aluminium enters human body daily through different sources like water, food, occupational exposure to aluminium in industries, and so on. In people with normal kidney function, serum aluminium is normally lower than 6 microgram/L. Baseline levels of serum aluminium should be <20 microgram/L. According to AAMI, standard aluminium levels in the dialysis fluid should be less than 0.01 milligram/L.