Furosemide-induced increase in urinary and peritoneal excretion of uric acid during peritoneal dialysis in patients with chronic uremia.

Intermittent peritoneal dialysis was performed in 17 patients with chronic uremia in order to observe the effect of furosemide added to the dialysate on urinary and peritoneal elimination of uric acid. Two kinds of dialysate were used: moderately hypertonic (osmolality, 431.2 mOsm/kg of water) and slightly hypertonic (osmolality, 368.9 Osm/kg of water). Significant increases in urine volume, urinary and peritoneal excretion of uric acid, and renal and peritoneal clearances were found. The increase in urinary excretion of uric acid exceeded that of urine volume. These findings were interpreted to be the result of furosemide action on renal function after being transferred through the peritoneum into the blood stream with the concomitant increase in the uric acid shift from the circulation into the peritoneal cavity. We concluded that the addition of furosemide is useful in increasing uric acid elimination in patients with chronic uremia.