Continuous-cycling peritoneal dialysis for children: an alternative to hemodialysis treatment.

Treatment of end-stage renal failure in children is invasive and prolonged. Although kidney transplantation is often the desired therapy, children usually require some form of life-sustaining dialysis until a suitable donor is found. Home continuous-cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD) is a useful alternative to in-center hemodialysis for these children. Adequate biochemical control of the uremic state can be achieved with continuous-cycling peritoneal dialysis. Peritonitis remains the major complication of this form of dialysis, averaging approximately one episode per 12 patient-months. Growth rates of children maintained on continuous-cycling peritoneal dialysis appear to be equivalent to growth rates of children treated with hemodialysis. The advantage of continuous-cycling peritoneal dialysis lies in the fact that exchanges occur during the evening hours and parental intervention is minimized.