Experience with subcutaneous erythropoietin in CAPD patients.

Experience in the use of subcutaneous erythropoietin in 18 CAPD patients is presented. The total and mean (SD) durations on CAPD were 419 and 23.3 (20.5) months, respectively. Eleven patients started treatment with normal or elevated iron stores, 7 had an initial iron saturation less than 20%. The initial hematocrit was 22.0 (3.1%). Eleven patients reached a steady state hematocrit (34.1 +/- 3.5%) by the end of the study period, and the mean percentage increase in hematocrit for all 18 patients was 47% over the initial hematocrit. All patients responded to EPO. The initial dose of EPO was 157.6 U/kg/wk, and all patients received oral iron supplements. There was no significant change in the means of any iron parameters. Transfusion requirements decreased from a mean of 0.42 transfusions per month per patient during the 12 months, prior to EPO, to 0.22 during the study. There were no significant changes in blood pressure or other measured parameters. Transient pain at the site of injection was noted infrequently.