Hemodiálisis: acceso vascular con cateter de doble lumen

We evaluated the results of hemodialysis performed with 106 double lumen catheters in 87 patients. 46 patients had chronic and 38 acute renal failure; 2 had respiratory distress syndrome and one refractory heart failure. Causes of failure included inadequate flow (9), coagulation (6) and displacement (4). In nine instances, severe complications developed: sepsis (3), local infection (4), hematoma (1) and vagal reaction (1). Three patient with catheters located in the subclavian vein developed vein stenosis, requiring angioplasty in 2 and graft in 1. Thus double lumen catheter is easy to place and helps preserve future vascular sites in chronic hemodialysis