Intermittent pneumatic compression in patients with ESRD

Abstract

Dear Editor, We read with unadulterated excitement, the recent systematic review by Torres et al assessing the efficacy and safety of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) in the management of intradialytic hypotension (IDH) in patients with ESRD undergoing hemodialysis. We were the first to report on the application of the principle of enhanced external counter pulsation (EECP) in this regard. We are happy to note that our 2010 report was very well evaluated and reported on in your new publication. We would like a correction as for most of this publication, this author was cited in the first name (Macaulay) as against the appropriate last name (Onuigbo). This systematic review concluded that IPC might offer significant benefits for patients undergoing hemodialysis not limited to prevention of IDH but also improvement of hemodialysis comfort and physical capacity. From our subsequent unreported experience with the use of bilateral lower extremity sequential compression devices as simple, effective, and safe, more so given the increasing aging population of US ESRD population, we call for a concerted effort for the design and execution of a randomized controlled trial of this phenomenon.