Observations on neutropenia associated with haemodialysis

In the first 30 minutes of haemodialysis, in patients with chronic renal failure, there is a dramatic fall in total neutrophil count in the peripheral blood. An hour after the start of dialysis this has returned to normal.We have carried out a series of experiments in an attempt to elucidate the cause of this neutropenia. Both the patient and the membranes of the dialyser appeared to be a necessary combination to produce these changes, which …