My mother has been on hemodialysis for the last 2 years. The consistent feature was that her hemoglobin levels never went past 7 mg dl for 2 years despite erythropoietin injections. She has had anaphylactic reactions to oasis, penicillin and aspirin in 2011; she has had chronic leg and foot edema Since her aspirin allergy. In feb 2012 , she had chills and fever and sudden abdominal pain and distension- initially thought as peritonitis, but diagnosed later as rectus sheath hematoma; last 3 weeks she developed sudden pancytopenia with platelets dropping to 0000; she was transfused 2 whole units of blood; some reversal of hematocrit has happened; heparin has been stopped; she has seen a hematologist and had a bone marrow biopsy done ; currently awaiting test results; for the last one week, she has had alternating fever, chills and weakness ( currently awaiting blood culture results to see if there s post biopsy infection) and also excessive++ night sweats ,mostly after dialysis. I am wondering about the likely causes of her sudden drop in blood values, the reason for the persistent leg edema ( not classical pitting edema; has not changed much with dialysis; nephrologist not sure if allergic or chronic) and the reason for the night sweats Any recommendations tests or Rx wise Thank you kindly
posted on
Wed, 21 Mar 2012

Thu, 22 Mar 2012
Answered on

Fri, 13 Apr 2012
Last reviewed on