Managing anemia using laboratory trend analysis. Case study of the anemic patient.

Proper management of the anemia of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requires chronic monitoring of an interrelated set of variables that can affect the erythrokinetic response. In most cases, therapeutic interventions should be determined on the basis of serial trends in laboratory values, thereby providing a historical pattern of clinical response. This article reviews the rationale for using laboratory trend analysis to manage anemia. A methodology for categorizing patterns in hemoglobin and hematocrit response to identify probable causes of hypo- or hyper-response to Epoetin alfa therapy is provided.