Blood was collected immediately before the HD procedure, on the second dialysis session of the week, into tubes containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and into tubes without anticoagulant, in order to obtain whole blood, serum, and plasma.
Other laboratory parameters reported here were measured from the same blood collection immediately before the first dialysis therapy.
Before the first dialysis session, the achievement of treatment goals regarding BP was identical in the two groups (Table 2).
Blood samples for anti-Xa measurements were taken 4 times in one week of dialysis: before the first dialysis of the week (baseline), prior to (T1) and after the fourth dialysis session of the week (T2), and before the first dialysis of the following week (T3).
In our dialysis unit, regular blood sampling was conducted monthly before the first dialysis session in a week (on Mon or Tue).
Whole saliva samples were collected using Salivette cotton (Sarstedt Ltd., Nümbrecht, Germany) before the first dialysis of the week at each patient's visit.
To ascertain inclusion of incident patients only, we used a 2-year look back period before the first dialysis code after January 2001.
We assessed anti-Xa levels at 4 time points during 1 dialysis week: before the start of the first dialysis session of the week (baseline), prior to (T1) and after the last dialysis session of the week (T2) and before the first dialysis of the following week (T3).
Blood was drawn every week (weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) before the first dialysis of the week (Monday or Tuesday) to determine serum phosphorus, calcium, and albumin levels.
Dependent on the dialysis frequency, the dialysis membrane, and the activated partial thromboplastin time, measured before the start of the dialysis session, a reduced dose should be used from the second dialysis.
