Dialysis patients who develop thrombocytopenia, or a low platelet count, may have a condition linked to a type of sterilization method known as electron beam (e-beam) sterilization for kidney dialysis machines, a new study shows.
"Thrombocytopenia is not widely recognized as a potential dialyzer-related complication," researchers wrote. But in "patients undergoing hemodialysis in two Canadian provinces in 2009-2010, the use of e-beam sterilized dialyzers was associated with significant thrombocytopenia following dialysis."
The dialyzer, which acts as an artificial kidney, is sterilized using the method. Researchers identified 20 patients who experienced thrombocytopenia after undergoing dialysis using this method. They then looked at 1,700 Canadian patients undergoing hemodialysis and found that e-beam sterilization was linked to a 3.6-fold increase in the risk of thrombocytopenia when compared to other sterilization methods.
Researchers don't know how the sterilizer might contribute to the drop in platelets, but the recommend that those undergoing dialysis ask how the dialyzer is sterilized and if it might cause thrombocytopenia. Dr. Robert Provenzano, vice chair of nephrology at St. John Providence Health System in Detroit, told HealthDay "We need to be cautious about how these products that our blood is exposed to are sterilized. Sterilization can alter the chemistry of the dialyzer. It may not be as benign as we thought."
The study appears in the Oct. 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
