Effect of Drinking Distilled Water versus Tap Water on Interdialytic Weight Gain in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure under Hemodialysis

Abstract

Typically, a patient being dialyzed thrice weekly will gain one to four kg of weight in the interdialytic period, most of it is water which will need to be removed during three to four hours period of dialysis.

In most dialysis patients, hypertension is volume-dependent. In 50 - 60% of hypertensive patients with chronic renal failure, removal of excess fluid volume with dialysis results in normalization of blood pressure without the use of antihypertensive agents. -�•

The most common complication during hemodialysis is hypotension (20 - 30%) secondary to large interdialytic weight gain and excessive ultrafiltration.

Drinking distilled water has no effect on body supply of minerals and it actually enhances minerals absorption rates.

This double-blind controlled study was done on 20 patients with end stage renal disease on regular hemodialysis thrice weekly. All patients were subjected to full history, clinical examination and biochemical investigations including serum sodium, serum potassium, serum calcium and serum phosphorus. All patients were supplied by containers full of either distilled water or tap water for one month, then the content of these containers was changed to the reverse in the next months.