The objective of the present study is to compare the long-term therapeutic efficacy of daytime ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (DAPD) and traditional continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and to find an optimal method for Chinese requiring long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD). A total of 32 inpatients and outpatients receiving PD were randomized into group A (n=16) and group B (n=16). P...

BACKGROUND Cool dialysate is often recommended for prevention of intra-dialytic hypotensive episodes in maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, its effect on toxin removal is not studied. It is known that inter-compartmental resistance is the main barrier for toxin removal. Cool dialysate can potentially increase this resistance by vasoconstriction and thus impair the toxin removal. Th...

Peritonitis is a serious complication in patients on peritoneal dialysis. We examined the efficacy of MTV therapy [first 7 days: meropenem 0.5 g intravenously (IV) twice daily, plus tobramycin 15 mg intraperitoneally (IP) in every dialysis bag; next 7 days: meropenem 0.5 g IV twice daily, plus vancomycin 8 mg/kg IP in every bag after a 1-g loading dose] on peritonitis in patients undergoing con...

BACKGROUND Previous study has demonstrated the efficacy of hemodialysis in reducing blood glutamate levels. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether peritoneal dialysis (PD) may be effective in lowering blood glutamate levels, which may serve as a potential tool for improving neurological function after brain injury. METHODS Two liters of dialysis solution were infused over ...

Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease, as it substantially increases a patient's survival and is cost saving compared to a lifetime of dialysis. However, transplantation is not universally chosen by patients with renal failure, and limited knowledge about the survival benefit of transplantation vs. dialysis may play a role. We created a mobi...

Three methods for estimating free thyroxine (FT4) in serum were studied: equilibrium dialysis, the SPAC-ET FT4 radioimmunoassay kit, and the Amerlite MAB FT4 luminometric assay. Serum samples from 10 subjects with above-normal thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), 6 with low TBG, 30 with familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia (FDH), 13 with nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentrations in seru...

Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom, affecting 42-89% of end-stage kidney disease patients, persisting even in pre-dialysis care and stable kidney transplantation, with huge repercussions on functioning, quality of life and patient outcomes. This paper presents a critical review of current evidence for the role of psychological factors in renal fatigue. To date, research has concentrat...

Background: Pre-dialysis education that leads to decisions on treatment has traditionally been ad hoc, with programmes lacking a theoretical or evidence basis. A multidisciplinary and service user participatory action research study developed and delivered a self-efficacy, theory based pre-dialysis education intervention. A core principle of action research methodology is critical reflection. A...

Prevention and correction of hyperphosphatemia is a major goal of chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) management, achievable through avoidance of a positive phosphate balance. To this aim, optimal dialysis removal, careful use of phosphate binders, and dietary phosphate control are needed to optimize the control of phosphate balance in well-nourished patients on a standar...

Malnutrition is a common clinical problem in dialysis patients. So far the management of malnutrition in this population has not been fully successful. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of use of megestrol acetate suspension in malnourished dialysis patients. Twenty-six hypoalbuminemic (albumin < or = 3.8 g/dl) dialysis patients took 160 mg of megestrol acetate daily ...