OBJECTIVE: To determine if peritoneal transport characteristics change during the initial month of peritoneal dialysis. DESIGN: Retrospective review of peritoneal equilibration test (PET) results in patients who received their first PET during the first two weeks of peritoneal dialysis (early PET group) versus patients who received their first PET between four and 28 weeks after the initiation of dialysis (late PET group). The initial PET values were compared to subsequent PET results obtained approximately seven months after the initial PET. SETTING: Peritoneal dialysis unit of a tertiary medical center. OUTCOME MEASURES: PET results and calculated mass transfer area coefficient (MTAC) values. PATIENTS: Thirty-four peritoneal dialysis patients in the early PET group and 17 peritoneal dialysis patients in the late PET group. RESULTS: In the early PET group, there was a statistically significant increase from the initial to follow-up values for both dialysate-to-plasma (D/P) creatinine and MTAC creatinine (p < 0.01) as well as a significant decrease for four-hour dialysate to initial dialysate ratios (D/Do) glucose (p = 0.08) and MTAC glucose (p < 0.05). In the late PET group, there was no significant change in any of these parameters with time. However, in the late PET group, there was a significant decrease in D/P urea values with time (p < 0.01), but not with MTAC urea. In addition, there were no differences over time in either group for serum albumin or hematocrit values. CONCLUSION: During the first two weeks of peritoneal dialysis, there tends to be a change in peritoneal transport characteristics in some patients. PET data obtained during this time period should be interpreted as preliminary.

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