Author(s)

S. Cavalcanti, S. Seven & L.Y. Di Marco

Abstract

A numerical simulator of the cardiovascular response to hemodialysis-induced hypovolemia was developed. The simulator includes systemic arterial and venous circulation, Frank-Starling's law of the heart, arterial and cardiopulmonary baroreflex regulation of venous unstressed volume and peripheral resistance. This simulator was used to study the hemodynamic responses in 20 patients undergoing hemodialysis. Patients were classified as either hypotension-prone or hypotension- resistant according to their history of hemodialysis-induced cardiovascular collapses. Arterial pressure, heart rate and blood volume were measured during hemodialysis sessions ending without collapse. Blood volume and heart rate were used as inputs to the simulator, and the

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