Knowledge Acquisition: What Do Our Patients Receiving Peritoneal Dialysis Really Know about Albumin Consumption?

Patients receiving peritoneal dialysis historically have difficulty keeping albumin and phosphorus levels within therapeutic ranges on a consistent basis. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess if patients receiving peritoneal dialysis had a working nutritional knowledge related to albumin levels and to determine if increasing egg consumption would result in an increase of albumin levels. This study was conducted using a prospective quantitative pre-test/post-test knowledge test and assessing the recorded pre-albumin and pre-phosphorus lab values from the electronic medical record, which are drawn each month, and compare them over a one-month period. A convenience sample collection was conducted among 30 adult individuals receiving peritoneal dialysis. Findings in this study suggest that education continues to be a key component for positive outcomes for this patient population.