A major factor that affects solute and water transport through tissue is the state of tissue hydration. The amount of interstitial water directly affects the transport coefficients for both diffusion and convection. To investigate the effect of simultaneous exposure of tissue to hydrostatic and osmotic pressures on the state of tissue hydration and the pattern of distribution of tissue water, w...

The general objective assigned to the EUropean DIALlysis (EUDIAL) Working Group by the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) was to enhance the quality of dialysis therapies in Europe in the broadest possible sense. Given the increasing interest in convective therapies, the Working Group has started by focusing on haemodiafiltration (HDF) therapies. ...

BACKGROUND The bacterial and chemical contamination of dialysate fluids are important problems in haemodialysis therapy and may be caused by the water used for dialysate preparation. METHODS We performed a survey of the microbiological and chemical quality of the water used in seven dialysis wards. Special attention was paid to the effects of each water treatment step, for example ion exchang...

Due to the fact the incubation conditions may influence the microbiological evaluation of water for dialysis, the objective of the present study was the comparison of the efficiency of R2A and PCA media in the enumeration of heterotrophic bacteria in 193 samples of water collected in dialysis clinics from 12 cities in São Paulo, between October and December 2007. Results showed counts significa...

BACKGROUND Lung congestion is emerging as a pervasive, insidious problem in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on dialysis. SUMMARY Chest ultrasound (US), a novel, easy-to-perform, cheap technique, which is currently applied for objective monitoring of pulmonary congestion in patients with heart failure in Europe, allows reliable quantification of lung water in clinical practice. Before ...

Imbalance of sodium and potassium in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) is not uncommon. Sodium is the major extracellular cation; however, its concentrations are mainly affected by water balance, as well as sodium balance. Potassium is the major intracellular cation, and serum potassium concentrations are very low, compared with its intracellular components. Hyponatremia and hypokalemia are ...

Peritoneal dialysis is a form of kidney dialysis that is used to remove accumulated metabolic waste products and water in patients with end stage kidney disease. Long-term exposure to high concentrations of glucose and its by-products, both found in peritoneal dialysis fluid, has been implicated in contributing to peritoneal damage over time, in turn limiting long-term use of the technique. New...

An estimate of total body water (TBW) has important implications in clinical practice. For patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD), the estimate is critical when determining the delivered dialysis dose. The formulas of Mellits and Cheek have been recommended to estimate TBW in children on PD. These formulas were derived from healthy children, and very few infants were included. To assess the accur...

Over the last 15-20 years, there has been an increasing trend for dialysis to be commenced earlier in the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The drivers for initiation of dialysis at higher levels of renal function are complex but were primarily based on the assumption that by improving solute and water clearances with earlier dialysis, morbidity, mortality and quality of life would b...