Serum erythropoietin levels and hematocrit in end-stage renal disease: influence of the mode of dialysis

Serum erythropoietin (Ep) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 70 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) to evaluate the influence of the mode of dialysis on the relationship between serum Ep levels and the severity of anemia. Thirty-five patients were on hemodialysis (HD), seven were on intermittent peritoneal dialysis (IPD), and 28 were on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Compared to HD, CAPD patients had higher serum Ep (CAPD), 46.1 +/- 13.4 v HD, 16.9 +/- 2.2 mU/mL) and hematocrit (CAPD, 33.9 +/- 2.5 v HD, 24.8 +/- 1.4%; P less than 0.05). The Ep and Hct values for IPD patients were intermediate between the other two groups. Serum Ep levels were higher in CAPD patients in the first 4 weeks of initiation of CAPD (144 +/- 35 mU/mL, n = 6) than later (39 +/- 6.4 mU/mL, n = 24). A significant fluctuation in serum Ep and Hct values was noted in patients on all three modes of dialysis, when multiple samples were obtained at different time intervals. There was a weak correlation between serum Ep and Hct in the three groups of dialysis patients; r = 0.36, P less than 0.005. The data suggest that CAPD provides a better biochemical milieu for Ep production and responsiveness than HD treatment of ESRD.     

Neurosurgical management of dialyzed patients]

Cerebrovascular disease is a lethal complication for patients with renal failure because of the hemostatic disturbance and equivocality about management of the central nervous system. Appropriate management of the renal failure in neurosurgical patients was considered on the basis of experience. Hemodialysis (HD), which is the most common dialysis method, has a serious disadvantage: the elevation of intracranial pressure during dialysis due to the "disequilibrium syndrome." It is important to stabilize the serum osmolarity during dialysis in order to prevent the disequilibrium syndrome. From this point of view, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) has great advantages; serum osmolarity is not rapidly changed and no anticoagulants are required during dialysis. CAPD is recommended as the first method of choice in neurosurgical management of renal failure patients. However, if a patient has to be maintained with HD because of a history of laparotomy or peritonitis, it is essential to keep the serum osmolarity as stable as possible using the extracorporeal ultrafiltration method, hypernatremic HD, bicarbonate HD, and intravenous administration of glycerol.     

Serum free carnitine, carnitine esters and lipids in patients on peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis

Serum free and esterified carnitine levels as well as lipids were investigated in patients undergoing regular hemodialysis (HD) treatment before and during 12 weeks of treatment with L-carnitine (1 g i.v.) at the end of each HD. The results were compared with those obtained in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD; n = 15) or intermittent peritoneal dialysis (IPD; n = 3) and healthy controls (CO; n = 20). In HD patients (n = 23) total carnitine (TC) was 49.9 +/- 3.9 (CO: 46.0 +/- 2.5; NS), free carnitine (FC) was 31.6 +/- 2.8 (CO: 37.4 +/- 1.3; p less than 0.05), short-chain acylcarnitine (SCC) was 17.0 +/- 1.8 (CO: 7.2 +/- 0.9; p less than 0.0001) and long-chain acylcarnitine (LCC) was 1.2 +/- 0.2 mumol/l (CO: 0.6 +/- 0.1; p less than 0.05). FC was in the normal range in CAPD (35.6 +/- 3.2) and IPD (44.5 +/- 8.0 mumol/l) patients, whereas SCC (30.1 +/- 3.5) and LCC (2.9 +/- 0.2) levels were maximal elevated in IPD patients (11.8 +/- 0.8 and 1.5 +/- 0.2 on CAPD). Therefore, TC was higher in IPD than in CAPD patients (77.5 +/- 5.0 vs. 49.0 +/- 3.5 mumol/l). 12 weeks after L-carnitine supplementation in HD patients, TC was 313.9 +/- 22.6, FC was 207.7 +/- 12.4, SCC was 99.6 +/- 12.1 and LCC was 7.1 +/- 0.6 mumol/l. TC and FC were significantly lower in females compared with males. Total cholesterol and ketone bodies were normal, HDL cholesterol was significantly decreased before and after L-carnitine supplementation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Controlled comparison of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis: Veterans Administration multicenter study

We measured mortality and morbidity among 114 patients assigned randomly to home hemodialysis (HD) and home intermittent peritoneal dialysis (IPD). Data were collected during the time of home training and for 12 months after initiation of home dialysis. Training time was shorter for the IPD than for the HD patients (P less than 0.001) with median time 1.8 months for IPD and 3.9 months for HD. Switching to the alternative mode of treatment was more frequent for the IPD group (29/59 vs. 5/55, P less than 0.001). Survival time was not different, perhaps because of the modality change. More IPD patients were hospitalized in the first 6 months (20 for IPD vs. 9 for HD, P = 0.02), but they had fewer troublesome cardiovascular events in the first year (0 vs. 12, P less than 0.001). The HD patients maintained better nutritional status as reflected in body weight and arm muscle circumference and possibly in urea appearance rate. Thus, these data suggest that for most patients, IPD is a less satisfactory form of therapy than HD, but certain advantages of IPD did emerge. Applications of this information to the currently more popular mode of CAPD await further study.     

Growth of children following the initiation of dialysis: a comparison of three dialysis modalities

Maintenance dialysis usually serves as an interim treatment for children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) until transplantation can take place. Some children, however, may require dialytic support for an extended period of time. Although dialysis improves some of the problems associated with growth failure in ESRD (acidosis, uremia, calcium, and phosphorus imbalance), many children continue to grow poorly. Therefore, three different dialysis modalities, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), cycler/intermittent peritoneal dialysis (CPD), and hemodialysis (HD), were evaluated with regard to their effects on the growth of children initiating dialysis and remaining on that modality for 6–12 months. Growth was best for children undergoing CAPD when compared with the other two modalities with regard to the following growth parameters: incremental height standard deviation score for chronological age [–0.55±2.06 vs. –1.69±1.22 for CPD (P<0.05) and –1.80±1.13 for HD (P<0.05)]; incremental height standard deviation score for bone age [–1.68±1.71 vs. –2.45±1.43 for CPD (P=NS) and –2.03±1.28 for HD (P=NS)]; change in height standard deviation score during the dialysis period [0.00±0.67 vs. –0.15±.29 for CPD (P=NS) and –0.23±.23 for HD (P=NS)]. The reasons why growth appears to be best in children receiving CAPD may be related to its metabolic benefits: lower levels of uremia, as reflected by the blood urea nitrogen [50±12 vs. 69±16 mg/dl for CPD (P<0.5) and 89±17 for HD (P<0.05)], improved metabolic acidosis, as indicated by a higher serum bicarbonate concentration [24±2 mEq/l vs. 22±2 for CPD (P<0.05) and 21±2 for HD (P<0.05)]. In addition, children undergoing CAPD receive significant supplemental calories from the glucose absorbed during dialysis. CAPD, and possibly, other types of prolonged-dwell daily peritoneal dialysis appear to be most beneficial for growth, which may be of particular importance for the smaller child undergoing dialysis while awaiting transplantation.     

多囊肾病患者行连续性不卧床腹膜透析及血液透析的疗效比较

目的 对比进入终末期肾病（ESRD）的多囊肾病（PKD）患者行连续性不卧床腹膜透析（CAPD）及血液透析（HD）治疗的临床疗效。 方法 回顾性分析2001年1月至2007年12月期间在我科行透析治疗3个月以上的PKD患者,共29例患者入选,分为CAPD组（10例,34.5％）和HD组（19例,65.5％）,选择10例年龄及性别与CAPD组匹配非PKD的CAPD患者作为对照组。记录患者一般资料、透析初始资料、并发症、生存时间、退出透析或死亡等结局。采用Kaplan-Meier法,Log-Rank检验进行生存分析。 结果 CAPD组1年、3年及5年存活率分别为 90％、75％及25％;HD组为94.4％、67.6％及48.3％;对照组为83.3％、44.4％及22.2％,3组患者存活率差异无统计学意义（P > 0.05）。CAPD组与对照组Kt/V[（2.09±0.97）/周比（1.93±0.59）/周]、Ccr[（58.5±9.1） L&#8226;周-1&#8226;（1.73 m2）-1比（55.0±9.5）L&#8226;周-1&#8226;（1.73 m2）-1]、腹膜炎的发生率（0.62次/病人年比0.30次/病人年）、首次腹膜炎时间[（23.5±4.0）个月比（20.0±15.8）个月]、腹透管出口感染次数（0 次比 1次）、发生疝的例数（1例比0例）、腹透液渗漏的发生次数（0次比0次）差异均无统计学意义（均P > 0.05）。HD组2例发生脑出血（10.5％）,皆死亡;10例（52.6％）发生囊肿出血,其中5例因反复囊肿出血行手术治疗;2例因出血严重行单侧肾脏切除。CAPD组无脑出血发生,仅1例（10％）发生囊肿出血,该囊肿出血患者经保守治疗后好转。HD组出血并发症高于CAPD组（P < 0.05）且较严重。 结论 PKD患者与非PKD患者行CAPD治疗其预后及并发症的发生比例类似。PKD患者行CAPD治疗与HD治疗的预后同样较好,且行CAPD时出血并发症的风险较少。除非透析前存在疝或患者不耐受,PKD肾衰竭患者既可选择HD也可选择CAPD作为初始的肾脏替代治疗方式,PKD不是CAPD治疗的禁忌证。     

Chronic peritoneal dialysis: mechanical and infectious complications

The present report summarizes the mechanical and infectious complications attributable to the devices and procedures used for chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD), comparing the type and frequency of such complications in contemporaneous groups of patients undergoing continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD) or intermittent PD (IPD). Mechanical complications related directly to the catheter and its placement proved to be equally frequent during CAPD and IPD. On the other hand, mechanical complications related to increased intraperitoneal pressure were more frequent during CAPD. In most instances mechanical complication can be managed without permanent interruption of chronic PD. Peritonitis occurs more frequently during CAPD (1.6 episodes per patient-year) than during IPD (0.4 episodes per patient-year), with a tendency to more frequent peritonitis among diabetics, children, patients with white blood cell abnormalities, patients with catheter cuff or tunnel inflammation, and during the 1st month of treatment. Medical therapy eradicates peritonitis and allows continuation of chronic PD with retention of the catheter in more than 90% of episodes, although special problems may be encountered with fungal, pseudomonal, and some coagulase-positive staphylococcal infections.     

Peritoneal morphology on maintenance dialysis

Thirty-eight peritoneal biopsies from 37 patients with normal renal function or with end-stage renal failure without replacement therapy or utilizing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), haemodialysis (HD) or a functioning transplant were examined histologically. No abnormality in peritoneal membrane morphology was observed in uraemia in the absence of dialysis. Significant abnormalities of peritoneal membrane morphology were observed in association with CAPD, the predominant finding being the development of peritoneal fibrosis which had a deleterious effect on membrane function. Abnormal peritoneal morphology was less commonly observed in patients on maintenance HD and with functioning transplants but may have implications regarding the future use of CAPD in these patients.     

Comparison of eosinophilia in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis

Eosinophilia (E) has been noted in hemodialysis (HD) patients, but its etiology is not clear. In an effort to clarify this phenomenon, we prospectively studied patients initiating dialysis in our outpatient HD and peritoneal dialysis programs. Rate of E was greatest for a small group of four continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis patients (75%), less for 63 HD patients (41%), and least for 66 continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients (21%, P less than .05, HD v CAPD). Increasing E rates among the groups paralleled increased frequency of tubing changes. There were no differences in etiology of renal disease, medications, types of dialyzers, types of access, or transfusion frequency that could account for the E. IgE levels did not correlate with E. The data suggest that the dialysis procedure or the tubing changes may be causing the E, but the possibility that uremia, itself, is important in the pathogenesis of dialysis E is also discussed.     

糖尿病肾病尿毒症患者血液透析与腹膜透析的疗效对比观察

目的：探讨治疗糖尿病肾病（DN）尿毒症较理想的透析方法，方法：对62例作血液透析（HD）和34例作持续性非卧床腹膜透析（CAPD）和DN尿毒症患进行比较，观察两组患透析前后的血液生化指标；生存率，死亡原因，透析后主要并发症。结果：透析前合并有高血压，心脏肥大，冠心病或年龄大于60岁，行CAPD治疗后出现并发症的机会较HD少（P＜0．05）。结论：透析前合并有高血压，心脏肥大，冠心病或年龄大于60岁的DN尿毒症患以选择CAPD治疗较佳。     

QT dispersion in hemodialysis and CAPD patients

Prolongation of repolarization dispersion (QT interval dispersion) measured from the 12-lead surface ECG has been associated with sudden cardiac death and ventricular tachyarrhythmias in a variety of cardiac disorders. The aim of our study was to assess the effects of hemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) on QT dispersion in end-stage renal disease patients. 20 chronic HD patients (mean age 57.75 +/- 13.79 years) and 20 CAPD patients (mean age 50.79 +/- 14.94 years) who had no complaints and symptoms of cardiac arrhythmias as well as 20 healthy volunteers (mean age 48.74 +/- 10.88 years) underwent ECG testing. All HD patients were on bicarbonate three times weekly with cuprophane capillaries. 12-lead ECGs were recorded on the day after HD. The CAPD patients were on a standard CAPD program (four times daily with 2,000 cm(3) peritoneal fluid). ECGs were recorded when the patients were receiving their regular standard CAPD program. All ECGs were analyzed manually by one observer. There were no statistically significant differences in dialysis duration, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, sodium, calcium, and parathormone values between the HD and CAPD patients. The serum potassium values were significantly higher in HD patients when compared to CAPD patients. There was no difference in the mean of maximal QT among all three groups. The rate of QT interval dispersions was significantly higher in HD and CAPD patients as compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the QT dispersion rates between HD and CAPD patients. In conclusion, there is a tendency to cardiac arrhythmias in HD patients during the postdialysis period. Although CAPD patients are receiving dialysis daily, they also have higher rates of QT dispersions and accordingly a tendency to arrhythmias.     

Plasma levels of human atrial natriuretic factor in patients treated by hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

We measured plasma levels of immunoreactive human atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in chronic renal failure patients treated by hemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Predialysis plasma ANF was significantly higher in HD patients (271.8 +/- 173.4 pg/ml) as compared to CAPD patients (81.8 +/- 80.5 pg/ml) and healthy subjects (31.5 +/- 19.8 pg/ml). Plasma volume was higher in HD patients than in CAPD patients. Plasma ANF and plasma volume showed a significant positive correlation. In HD patients, high plasma ANF value decreased significantly to a value comparable with that of CAPD patients after each dialysis. The removal rates of ANF by HD and CAPD were comparable. Ultrafiltration corresponding to 2% of body weight without dialysis also reduced plasma ANF. Thus, the difference in plasma ANF values between HD and CAPD patients seems to be mostly due to the difference in plasma volume, indicating that plasma ANF is sensitive to volume status even in chronic dialysis patients.     

Long-term follow-up of thoracoscopic pleurodesis for hydrothorax complicating peritoneal dialysis

BACKGROUND: Massive hydrothorax is a significant complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and its ideal management remains undefined. Conservative management in the form of intermittent peritoneal dialysis had limited success. The use of conventional pleurodesis and open thoracotomy were associated with morbidities and limitations. We retrospectively reviewed the long-term outcome of 8 patients with massive hydrothorax complicating CAPD, 6 of whom received thoracoscopic pleurodesis. METHODS: Among 397 patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis during the period from 1994 to 1998, hydrothorax developed in 8 patients. Four patients were first treated with temporary intermittent peritoneal dialysis using 1-L exchange cycles. Three of them had a recurrence of the hydrothorax whereas only one could resume continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis successfully. Two patients then underwent conventional pleurodesis but failed. One of them was switched to hemodialysis. Thoracoscopic pleurodesis was performed for the remaining 2 patients together with 4 other patients with hydrothorax once this complication developed. There were no gross abnormalities including pleuroperitoneal communication sites identified. Talc poudrage was performed in 2 patients and mechanical rub pleurodesis in the other 4 patients. All had uncomplicated procedure and uneventful recovery. RESULTS: One patient after thoracoscopic pleurodesis was soon switched to hemodialysis for an unrelated reason. The other 5 patients resumed continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis with no recurrence of hydrothorax for a mean period of 50 months (range 19 to 84). CONCLUSIONS: With thoracoscopic pleurodesis, patients resumed continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis without recurrence of hydrothorax on long-term follow-up.     

Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase Activities in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis and Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis

In this study, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities were determinated in the erythrocytes (RBC) from patients with chronic renal failure. The study included healthy subjects (n = 7), patients on hemodialysis (HD) using polyacrylonitrile-type dialysis membrane (before and after HD) (n = 10), patients on HD using cuprophane-type dialysis membrane (before and after HD) (n = 6), and patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) (n = 11). A significant decrease in SOD activity was found in HD groups using polyacrylonitrile- or cuprophane-type dialysis membrane. SOD activity was found to increase in patients undergoing CAPD. We have found that CAT activity is higher in all the CRF groups in respect to the control: with polyacrylonitrile-type dialysis membrane, with cuprophane-type dialysis membrane, and in CAPD treatment.     

Plasma oxalate in patients with chronic renal failure receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis

Plasma oxalate was measured in 20 patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and 20 patients receiving hemodialysis (HD). All patients had levels well above the reference range of less than 2.0 to 5.0 mumol/L (less than 0.18 to 0.44 mg/L), the medians being 34 mumol/L (2.99 mg/L) and 42 mumol/L (3.70 mg/L) for the two groups, respectively. Plasma oxalate did not differ significantly in the two groups. Plasma oxalate was not influenced by the number of months patients had received dialysis treatment, but a significant correlation was found between oxalate and creatinine in the 40 patients studied (P less than 0.02, r = 0.38). Predialysis oxalate levels were reduced by approximately 60% following HD, but returned to 80% of the predialysis levels within 24 hours and 95% within 48 hours. Oxalate levels did not differ significantly in samples taken before, during, and after exchanges of CAPD fluid. That the patients treated with CAPD did not have higher oxalate levels than the HD group suggests that the continuous nature of the former treatment compensates for the lower oxalate clearance by the peritoneum. The reported higher risk of oxalosis associated with intermittent peritoneal dialysis has led to a similar risk being postulated for CAPD; however, the present study indicates that if such a risk exists, it cannot be explained by higher levels of oxalate or ionized calcium in these patients.     

Patient survival and causes of death on hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis – single-center study

Survival and causes of death in children dialyzed in a single center were analyzed. During the last 12 years a chronic dialysis program was introduced in 146 children in our center and 125 of them, eligible for observation, were included in this analysis; 58 patients were on hemodialysis (HD) and 67 on peritoneal dialysis [continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis/automated peritoneal dialysis (CAPD/APD)]. Mean age at the start of dialysis was 13.1 years in HD and 9.8 years in CAPD/APD patients. Overall, 16 patients died (12.5%); 6 (10.3%) on HD and 10 (14.9%) on CAPD/APD; 4 HD patients died of hemorrhagic stroke and 2 were killed in road traffic accidents. Of 10 CAPD/APD patients, 7 died of heart failure, ischemic stroke, and/or disseminated thromboembolic disease. Another was killed in a road traffic accident and 2 died during the course of severe infections. The 1-year patient survival rate was 96.6% in HD patients and 95% in CAPD/APD patients, 2-year survival 94% and 93% and 5-year survival 91% and 78%, respectively (P=0.2, NS). In conclusion, the survival rate for HD and CAPD patients is similar, although after 2 years of therapy, it is lower in CAPD patients. The main causes of death are cardiovascular. However, in CAPD/APD patients, heart failure with low cardiac output and thromboembolic complications are major causes of death, and in HD patients the main cause is hemorrhagic stroke. Received: 21 February 2001 / Revised: 31 July 2001 / Accepted: 2 August 2001     

Hepatitis C infection among dialysis patients: a comparison between patients on maintenance haemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Three hundred and thirty-nine dialysis patients from two centres (278 patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and 61 on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) were tested for antibody against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) using first-generation enzyme immunoassay kits (Ortho Diagnostics). Anti-HCV was detected in five (1.8%) CAPD patients and ten (16.4%) HD patients (P less than 0.00001). Anti-HCV was confirmed to be positive in three (1.1%) CAPD patients and eight (13.2%) HD patients using neutralisation enzyme immunoassay kits (Abbott Laboratories). The marked difference in prevalence of anti-HCV among CAPD and HD patients was related to a significantly greater transfusion requirement of the HD patients. All the anti-HCV positive patients had been transfused. The risk of HCV infection was significantly increased in those who had received more than five units of blood. Four (26.7%) anti-HCV positive patients had one or more episodes of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values.     

Plasma concentrations of 18-hydroxycorticosterone and aldosterone in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis patients

This study explores the hypothesis that the continuous ultrafiltration that accompanies continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) produces greater activation of the renin-angiotensin aldosterone axis than does the intermittent ultrafiltration that accompanies thrice weekly hemodialysis (HD). Plasma renin activity (PRA), active renin (AR), total renin (TR), inactive renin (IR), 18-hydroxycorticosterone (18-OH-B), aldosterone (PAC), and cortisol were measured in plasma from CAPD (n = 6) and HD (n = 10) patients. Blood from CAPD patients was sampled at 8 AM after overnight recumbency and at 12 noon after four hours ambulation. Blood from HD patients was sampled immediately pre-HD (8 AM) and post-HD (12 noon) at both 8 AM and 12 noon. PRA (P less than 0.01), AR (P less than 0.01), and AR/TR (100%; P less than 0.01) were higher in CAPD than in HD. IR and TR were not different in the two groups. Plasma 18-OH-B was normal in HD but markedly elevated in CAPD. 18-OH-B was higher in CAPD than in HD at 8 AM (P less than 0.05) and at 12 noon (P less than 0.05). Plasma cortisol was not different in the two groups. We conclude that the greater degree of renin activation in CAPD versus HD contributes to the higher levels of 18-OH-B and PAC observed in CAPD patients.     

Peritoneal dialysis in the geriatric patient

Elderly patients on chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD) from two large chronic peritoneal dialysis programs were compared with younger patients in regard to peritonitis rates, catheter problems, hospital days, transfers to other forms of therapy, and mortality. Peritonitis rates and organisms were similar in younger and older patients. Catheter replacements were less common in the elderly. Differences in hospital days were attributable to hospitalization for vascular disease. The elderly were more likely to have the first episode of peritonitis, to die and to change dialysis modalities at all times after the first year of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) treatment, although other than increased mortality, differences between the two groups were small. CPD appears to be an acceptable form of renal replacement therapy in the elderly.