Nitrogen balance in patients with chronic renal failure on diets containing varying quantities of protein.

Twenty-four nitrogen balances have been performed in 16 patients with chronic renal failure, with a protein intake of 0.23 to 1.0 g./kg./day. The results show that most patients with chronic renal failure require about 0.5 g./kg./day (35 g. for a 70-kg. man) to remain in nitrogen balance. The proportion of high-quality protein in the diets varied from 40 to 98% and the calorie intake from 23.6 to 59.0 calories/kg./day (1,330 to 3,310 calories/day). Within these ranges the proportion of high-quality protein and the calorie content did not have a detectable effect on the nitrogen balance.It is concluded that when other forms of treatment for renal failure are available, reduced protein diets should be used for only short periods, and that the protein intake should be 0.5 g./kg./day to maintain the patient in nitrogen balance.