Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis with a high flux membrane. A preliminary report.

The standard peritoneal equilibration test (PET) was performed in 66 patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Patients were classified as low (n = 5), low average (n = 22), high average (n = 27), and high (n = 12) transporters based on the dialysate/plasma creatinine (D/P Cr) after 4 hr dwells. After an average time interval of 14 months on CAPD, indices of dialysis adequacy and nutrition were assessed. Based on monitoring of patient chemistries and drain volumes, peritoneal transport was considered stable during the interval. Instilled volumes and exchange tonicity were individualized in each patient to achieve combined renal and dialysis weekly creatinine clearance and KT/V urea that were not significantly different between groups. High transporters had significantly (p < 0.05) lower mean serum albumin, net protein catabolic rate (nPCR), lean body mass calculated from creatinine kinetics, and daily creatinine production (and presumably lower muscle mass), and higher albumin clearances compared to one or more lower transport groups. In conclusion, we hypothesize that high transporters are prone to protein malnutrition related to increased dialysate protein losses, and perhaps suppression of appetite, with increased use of hypertonic exchanges. High transporters are candidates for protein supplementation on CAPD or transfer to nightly intermittent peritoneal dialysis where short cycles provide more ultrafiltration with less glucose absorption.