The contribution of combined crystalloid and colloid osmosis to fluid and sodium management in peritoneal dialysis.

The achievement of euvolemia is essential to the successful management of peritoneal dialysis patients. However, the concern that hypertonic glucose exchanges may have a role in long-term changes to the peritoneal membrane has lead to an alternative strategy to enhance ultrafiltration (UF) over the long dwell by combining crystalloid and colloid osmosis. This review summarizes the experience of mixing glucose or amino acids with polyglucose (icodextrin), with particular focus given to data from studies using glucose/icodextrin in combinations of 1.36%/7.5% and 2.61%/6.8%. Both combinations demonstrate a significant increment of UF volume and sodium removal compared with the component osmotic agents used individually over long dwells, with the 2.61%/6.8% mixture having an effect over dwells extending to 15 h. Hypothetically, the mechanism of the enhanced UF is the attenuation by the colloid osmotic force of the backflow of water through small pores from dialysate to the peritoneal capillary circulation once the crystalloid osmotic force has dissipated. This experience provides promising data that deserves further examination in longer term clinical studies.

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in diabetic patients. The relationship of hypertension to retinopathy and cardiovascular complications.

From August 1978 to December 1983, 51 insulin-dependent diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease were selected for treatment by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. There were 27 male and 24 female patients, with a mean age of 52.3 +/- 13.5 years. Forty-five patients dialyzed themselves by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and six were treated by continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis. All patients were treated at home. The cumulative duration of treatment was 65.6 patient-years; 14 patients were dialyzed for at least 24 months. Extrarenal complications were frequent at start of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, including hypertension in 48 patients, proliferative retinopathy in 50, and cardiovascular complications in 30. Age appeared to be the major risk factor, with success rates at 2 years of 78% in patients under age 50 years and only 50% in patients over age 50. The main cause of death was vascular and the main cause of transfer to other therapeutic modalities was abdominal complications or malnutrition or both. Excellent control of blood pressure, uremia, and blood glucose levels was obtained on a daily program of four exchanges. Improvement in visual status was frequently observed, mainly in the young population. In patients with juvenile diabetes, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis should be part of an integrated program with transplantation, while in the elderly, the method offers a unique opportunity for them to treat themselves at home.

Daily subcutaneous administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) in peritoneal dialysis patients: a European dose-response study.

In a prospective randomized open multicenter study, 107 anemic (Hct < = 28%) peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients were treated with s.c. rhEPO daily. The mean observation period was 299 days (range 14-479 days). Patients were randomly assigned to 3 groups with different initial doses: 5 U/kg (G5), 10 U/kg (G10), 20 U/kg (G20). Initial doses were maintained for at least 8 weeks unless the target Hct (30-35%) was achieved earlier. The weekly increase of Hct was significantly (p < 0.05) dose-dependent: 0.19% in G5, 0.5% in G10 and 0.94% in G20. In case of insufficient response (< 0.5% per week), the dose was doubled every 4 weeks. Final doses on achieving the target Hct ranged from 5 to 40 U/kg (median 20 U/kg). The dose was then reduced to 50% and adjusted individually. The median maintenance dose was 9.9 U/kg/day. No tendency towards higher blood pressure or intensification of antihypertensive treatment was observed. When rhEPO is administered daily, 10 U/kg/day (70 U/kg weekly) is the recommended starting dose. The need for higher doses used in unsatisfactory response, should lead to further examination to rule out iron deficiency and other reasons for non-response. The median maintenance dose reported here is the lowest published in the literature for PD patients and seems to be linked to the daily injections.

Dialysis treatment of insulin dependent diabetic patients: ten years experience.

From January 1973 to March 1983, 108 IDD patients with a mean age of 46 years were accepted to the dialysis program of the Hôpital de la Pitié. Since January 1973, 67 patients have been treated by hemodialysis. Since August 1978, 38 patients have been treated by CAPD. Three patients have been treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis. Although diabetic patients remain at a higher risk compared to patients of the same age group, very encouraging results are observed including a 75% survival rate at three years among hemodialyzed patients less than 50 years old. Since 1978, CAPD, when home dialysis was possible, was selected as a first choice treatment. Some severe peritoneal complications still jeopardize the advantages of this method. Diabetics with ESRD, even in the older age group, should not be excluded from treatment. They should be offered within an integrated program all dialysis methods and transplantation.

How to reach optimal creatinine clearances in automated peritoneal dialysis.

This paper summarizes the basis of prescription for automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) established during a French national conference on APD. Clinical results and literature data show that peritoneal clearances are closely determined by peritoneal permeability and hourly dialysate flow rate, independently of dwell time or number of cycles. With APD, peritoneal creatinine clearance increases according to the hourly dialysate flow rate to a maximum (plateau), then decreases because of the multiplication of the drain-fill times. The hourly dialysate flow giving the maximum peritoneal creatinine clearance is defined as the "maximal effective dialysate flow" (MEDF). MEDF is higher for high peritoneal permeabilities: MEDF is 1.8 and 4.2 L/hr with nocturnal tidal peritoneal dialysis (TPD) for a 4-hr creatinine dialysate-to-plasma ratio (D/P) of 0.50 and 0.80, respectively. With nightly intermittent peritoneal dialysis (NIPD), MEDF is 1.6 and 2.3 L/hr for a D/P of 0.50 and 0.78, respectively. Under these conditions, tidal modalities can only be considered as a way to increase the MEDF. Using the MEDF concept for an identical APD session duration, the maximal weekly normalized peritoneal creatinine clearance can vary by 340% when 4-hr D/P varies from 0.41 to 0.78. APD is not recommended when 4-hr creatinine D/P is lower than 0.50. However, the limits of this technique may be reached at higher peritoneal permeabilities in anurics because of the duration of sessions and/or the additional exchanges required by these patients.

Clinical aspects of continuous ambulatory and continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis in diabetic patients.

The treatment of end-stage renal diabetic nephropathy remains a challenge. A large experience allows us to clearly outline the advantages and the drawbacks of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis (CCPD). Eighty-one patients, mean age 51.3 years, were treated over the last 9 years by CAPD-CCPD. Extrarenal complications, mainly vascular lesions, were present in this high-risk group of patients. The technique was modified in order to inject intraperitoneally, 4 times per day, insulin to control blood glucose level in CAPD patients. Actuarial survival was 92% at 1 year, 50% at 4 years mainly influenced by age: 85% survival at 2 years in 35 patients aged less than 50 years old and 62% at 2 years in 46 patients aged more than 50 years old. The main causes of death were of cardiovascular origin: myocardial infarction, stroke, atherosclerotic vasculopathy. The main causes of transfer to hemodialysis were due to technical complications. Peritonitis rate was one episode every 14 patient-months. Control of blood pressure, blood glucose levels, main biological parameters, and visual status were the clear advantages of the method. Peripheral vascular disease is not influenced by the technique. CAPD-CCPD is the technique of first choice in young diabetics and the preferential technique for home dialysis.

213 elderly uremic patients over 75 years of age treated with long-term peritoneal dialysis: a French multicenter study.

UNLABELLED: We report our experience in 213 elderly patients over 75 years treated by peritoneal dialysis (PD) as first and exclusive dialysis therapy. The mean age at start of PD was 79.4 +/- 3.6 years, and the cumulative time on PD was 4551 months (mean time: 21.4 +/- 19.8 months). Twenty-six patients lived in institutions and 187 lived at home. Thirty patients had an effective autonomy with the ability to carry on normal activities. One hundred and two patients were cared for by a private nurse at home, and 46 patients were cared for in a family environment. Most cases were treated by three exchanges per day (152 cases) and used a nondisconnect system (175 cases) on account of absence of autonomy. The rate of peritonitis per patient-month was one episode per 16.8 patient-months. Patient survival (Kaplan-Meier curves) was 74%, 59%, 45%, and 19% at one, two, three, and five years, respectively. The causes of death were various with a higher frequency of cardiovascular causes (48.3% of the 116 deaths). Thirty-three patients died in less than six months including 18 patients in less than three months. IN CONCLUSION: elderly uremic patients can be treated with long-term PD with relatively good results. Mortality is high but essentially due to age and poor general status-the dedication of private home nursing is very important in treating elderly PD patients. This fact often is a necessary condition in maintaining these elderly patients at home.

Exit-site care and exit-site infection in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD): results of a randomized multicenter trial.

A total of 127 patients from 8 hospitals were randomized into 1 of 2 exit-site care regimes to evaluate their effect on rate of exit-site infection (ESI). Group 1 used povidone iodine and nonocclusive dressings changed 2 to 3 times weekly; Group 2 simply cleansed the exit site with nondisinfectant soap and water. Incidence, cause, duration, and treatment of ESI and peritonitis (P) were noted. Groups were analysed for age, sex, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), catheter, and systems. Total cumulative follow up time was 95.6 years. There was a significantly higher rate (p = 0.0183) of ESI in Group 2 (soap and water). The mean rate of ESI was 0.27 episodes/patient year for Group 1 versus 0.71 episodes/patient year for Group 2. Rates of P for the two groups were not significantly different (p greater than 0.50): 0.446 episodes/year for Group 1 versus 0.574 episodes/year for Group 2. S. aureus was responsible for 83% of ESI in Group 1 and 67% of ESI in Group 2. Protective dressing with a disinfectant is associated with significantly less ESI than minimum care. However, further research in exit-site care aimed specifically at reducing S. aureus infection is still required.

Anti-viral drugs in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

The prevalence of HIV-positive subjects in dialysis (hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis) population varies from 0.13 to 0.36% in italian and french studies, respectively. Most drugs used in HIV therapy are primarily excreted by the kidney. In patients with renal insufficiency, careful dosage adjustment is mandatory to optimize drug exposure and reduce the risk for adverse events. We review the impact of peritoneal dialysis on the pharmacokinetics of antiviral drugs, and discuss on the dosage recommendations needed to achieve efficacy and avoid toxicity in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

Recovery of renal function in patients treated by CAPD.

Recovery of renal function was observed in 10 out of 300 patients (3.3%) treated by CAPD. These 10 patients presented the following primary renal diseases: 4 nephroangiosclerosis, 4 interstitial nephropathies, 1 diabetic nephropathy, 1 unknown nephropathy, and were treated by CAPD for a mean period of 10.2 +/- 5.5 months. CAPD was discontinued when residual renal function reached 12 ml/min. After recovery 8 patients were still alive, including 1 patient who returned to dialysis. 2 patients died. When risk factors such as uncontrolled hypertension, cardiac failure, severe nephrotic syndrome, rapidly progressive renal failure, analgesics or non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatments or abuses, chronic urinary obstruction, cholesterol emboli were associated with end stage renal failure, CAPD should be the dialysis treatment of choice, expecting the preservation of the kidney capacities and further a recovery of renal function.

Is overhydration in CAPD patients a contraindication to renal transplantation?

Over a 14 year period, 56 of 415 CAPD patients (34 male, 22 female), aged 42.7 +/- 11 years, underwent renal transplantation (TR). A cadaver kidney was used in 53 patients (kidney-pancreas in 2), and a human leucocyte antibody (HLA) identical related donor organ was used in 3. Underlying renal diseases were chronic glomerulonephritis in 30 patients, diabetic nephropathy in 10, interstitial nephropathy in 5, vascular in 4, polycystic kidney in 3, and undetermined in 4. Mean duration of CAPD prior to TR was 13 months (2-56 months). A three-week peritonitis episode-free interval was requested prior to TR. At year 1, actuarial patient and graft survival (96% and 86%, respectively), plasma creatinine, and number of rejection episodes were not different from those recorded in patients treated with hemodialysis (HD) prior to TR. At TR, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) was elevated (average 21.1 +/- 7.4 mm Hg), > or = 25 mm Hg and > or = 30 mm Hg in 36% and 14.6% of CAPD patients, respectively. Post-TR, HD was performed in 4 patients; no peritoneal infection occurred. Postoperative sonography disclosed ascitis in 12.7% of CAPD patients. The PD catheter was removed two months post-TR. Hemodynamic findings at TR suggest a frequently underestimated overhydration in CAPD patients, which should be detected and treated in order to reduce acute cardiovascular complications at TR.

[Prevention of peritonitis during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Value of disconnectable systems]. / Prévention des péritonites au cours de la dialyse péritonéale continue ambulatoire. Intérêt des systèmes déconnectables.

Peritonitis remains the major obstacle to the acceptance of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis as a long-term dialysis technique. In January, 1985, Y connectors were introduced into our continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis programme, and a two-year prospective randomized trial for all new patients was initiated in which the Y connection system was compared with the conventional technique in the prevention of peritonitis (group I). At the same time, 16 patients (group II), with a high incidence of peritonitis episodes were switched from the conventional technique to the Y connection system, while 55 patients (group III), remained on the conventional technique. Group IA patients (27 new patients using the Y connection system), developed peritonitis every 23 patient-months. Group IB patients (28 new patients using the conventional technique), developed peritonitis every 12.2 patient-months. The difference between these two sub-groups was statistically significant (P less than 0.02). Before their transfer to the Y connection system, group II patients developed peritonitis every 10 patient-months and thereafter one every 24 patient-months (P less than 0.001). Group III patients were divided into 12 continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis patients with peritonitis every 24 patients-months, and 43 continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients with peritonitis every 11.7 patient-months. The Y connector therefore proved to be a simple and safe procedure effective in reducing the peritonitis rate in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

[Focusing on peritoneal dialysis adequacy]. / Adéquation en dialyse péritonéale : mise au point.

The optimal method to assess the adequacy of peritoneal dialysis therapies is controversial. Today, the adequacy must not be considered as a number or a concept assessed only by two parameters (total KT/V urea and total solute clearance) but defined by many more items. In the absence of data, based on theoretical considerations, the reanalysis of the CANUSA study showed that renal kidney function, rather than peritoneal clearance, was associated with improved survival. Residual renal function is considered as a major predictor factor of cardiovascular mortality. Results of this reanalysis were supported by the adequacy data in ADEMEX, EAPOS and ANZDATA studies. Therefore, clinical assessment plays a major role in PD adequacy. The management of fluid balance, the regular monitoring of malnutrition, the control of mineral metabolism and particularly the glucose load, considered as the "corner-stone" of the system, are the main points to be considered in the adequacy of PD patients. The essential goal is to minimize glucose load by glucose-sparing strategies in order to reduce the neoangiogenesis of the peritoneal membrane.

[Treatment by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis for chronic renal insufficiency in the diabetic]. / Le traitement par dialyse péritonéale continue ambulatoire de l'insuffisance rénale chronique chez le diabétique.

The number of diabetics with end stage renal failure is growing. The best treatment at the lowest cost possible should be offered to all diabetics if therapeutics facilities are available. Such a policy requires that all dialysis methods and transplantation should be available and that transfer from one method to another should always be allowable. Results observed among diabetics are improving steadily, even in the older age group. However they are inferior to those observed in non diabetic people of the same age. In diabetic patients under fifty years of age, renal transplantation using a kidney from a cadaver or a related donor should be the first choice. In some cases kidney and pancreas transplantation is possible. However, for most patients dialysis methods are required as the only treatment or while waiting for a transplant. If home dialysis is considered, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis offers the opportunity to treat many insulin or non insulin-dependent diabetics at home even those in the high risk population because of age and/or cardio-vascular instability with excellent control of blood glucose levels, hypertension, vision, residual renal function, despite the peritoneal infections. These results are obtained from data in the literature and the survey of patients treated at the Hospital de la Pitié.

Lipoprotein(a) in patients treated by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] has been identified as an independent, inherited risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease. An elevation of Lp(a) plasma levels has been documented in several series of uremic patients submitted to maintenance dialysis treatment methods or after renal transplantation. We have measured the plasma levels of Lp(a) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent enzyme method in 19 patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Mean (+/- SD) concentration of Lp(a) was significantly higher in the patients than in the 19 healthy controls (51 +/- 48 mg/dL v 16 +/- 15 mg/dL, P < 0.005). No significant differences in Lp(a) levels were found between diabetic patients (n = 5) and nondiabetic patients (n = 14) or between patients who had (n = 6) or had not (n = 13) suffered a previous major cardiovascular complication. No correlation was evident between Lp(a) levels and the patients' ages, period of time on CAPD treatment, or any other lipid-lipoprotein investigated parameter. The mechanisms accounting for the elevation of Lp(a) levels in CAPD patients as well as the specific value of increased Lp(a) concentration as a cardiovascular risk predictor in uremic patients remain thus far speculative. Additional experimental and clinical studies are warranted before the administration of drugs to attempt to lower Lp(a) levels in CAPD patients can be recommended.

[Clinical aspects of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in diabetics]. / Les aspects cliniques de la dialyse péritonéale continue ambulatoire chez les diabétiques.

The treatment of end stage renal diabetic nephropathy remains a challenge. A large experience allows us to clearly outline the advantages and the drawbacks of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). 81 patients, mean age 51.3 years, were treated over the past nine years by CAPD-CCPD. Extrarenal complications, mainly vascular lesions, account for qualifying these patients as a high risk population. The technique was modified in order to inject insulin intraperitoneally, four times per day, to control blood glucose level. Peripheral vascular disease was prospectively studied in 19 patients. Actuarial survival was 92% at one year, 50% at four years mainly influenced by age: 85% survival at two years in 35 patients aged less than 50 years and 62% at two years in 46 patients aged more than 50 years. The main causes of death were of cardiovascular origin: arteritis, myocardial infarction, stroke. The main causes for transfer to an alternative method of treatment were technical complications. Peritonitis rate was one episode ever 14 months. Satisfactory control of blood pressure, blood glucose levels, main biological parameters, visual status were the clear advantages of the method. Peripheral vascular disease is not influenced by the technique. CAPD can be the technique of first choice in young diabetics awaiting a kidney transplant and the reference technique for home dialysis.