OBJECTIVE: To develop a formula that would permit a rapid and simple calculation of required dialysate volume needed to provide a predetermined daily creatinine clearance. DESIGN: Prospective study of peritoneal dialysis patients followed for 6 months. SETTING: A primary care teaching hospital in New York. PATIENTS: Twenty-six patients beginning peritoneal dialysis entered and completed the study. INTERVENTION: By employing each patient's measured peritoneal equilibration test (PET) and a standard clearance formula, a patient-specific treatment protocol (PSP) was calculated. The PET 2-hour D/Pcreat was used for continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD) and the 4-hour D/Pcreat was used for patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) to determine a PSP that would provide a minimum of 6 L of creatinine clearance daily. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients were followed for 6 months to assess the ability of this approach of maintaining acceptable levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, albumin, and hematocrit over the 6-month period of observation. RESULTS: Our study of 26 patients revealed that only 6 patients (23%) could be treated with the standard prescription of 8 L/day on CAPD. The remaining 77% of our patients required 9-13 L/day for CAPD and 12-21 L/day for CCPD. All patients were free of uremic symptoms and demonstrated acceptable biochemical parameters over a 3-6 month period of observation. CONCLUSIONS: A patient-specific protocol utilizing individually derived PET data provides an acceptable and easy to calculate initial treatment prescription for each patient that avoids the necessity for trial and error that has heretofore been employed.

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