OBJECTIVE: Previous measurements of peritoneal fluid handling in children treated by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) were performed with human albumin as a fluid marker. A major disadvantage of this substance is that endogenous patient albumin enters the peritoneal cavity during the dwell period. For this reason peritoneal fluid kinetics were measured in a group of children on CAPD, using autologous hemoglobin as a volume marker. DESIGN: Autologous hemoglobin was added to dialysate containing 1.36% glucose as a volume marker. Marker clearance (MC), which is presently the best available approximation of lymphatic absorption in the clinical setting, and transcapillary ultrafiltration (TCUF) were measured during a 4-hour dwell. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: Children on CAPD (N = 9), with a median age of 8.1 years (range 2.1-3.2 years). RESULTS: MC was 521 +/- 166 mL/4 hour/1.73 m2, which is high compared to the literature data on adult CAPD patients. TCUF was 519 +/- 92 mL/4 hour/1.73 m2, which is similar to data concerning adult patients. TCUF reached no maximum during the 4-hour dwell, and the deviation of the TCUF curve from linear was markedly less than usually seen in adult patients. CONCLUSIONS: MC in children treated with CAPD is higher when compared to the literature data on adults. Difficulties to achieve sufficient ultrafiltration in children could be caused by relatively small differences between MC and TCUF from the beginning to the end of the dwell.

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