부산대학교 도서관

INTRODUCTION THE FOLLOWING study evolved from efforts over one decade to assess the severity of the uremic syndrome. Evaluation of the degree of uremia was particularly necessary to determine indications for dialytic therapy. When dialysis is used in renal failure for hyperkalemia, evaluation rests on effective and objective guides. The level of potassium can be reliably measured in the serum and the effect of increased potassium levels on vital function can be nicely observed in the electrocardiogram. Since the introduction of sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate) as an effective means of controlling hyperkalemia, however, dialytic therapy is used less frequently with potassium removal as the chief objective. If hyperkalemia is controlled and dialysis is to be used for other manifestations of renal insufficiency, evaluation is difficult and subjective to an unfortunate degree. Blood chemical measurements are often misleading in reflecting the severity of clinical uremia; no accepted physiologic test for the