Our objectives were to estimate the body composition of children on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), assess the fat-free mass (FFM) by bioelectrical impedance (BIA) and skinfold anthropometry (SF), and determine the effect of various parameters of the nutritional status and adequacy of dialysis on body composition. The design was a noninterventional retrospective clinical trial. The percent of fat ranged from 10% to 25% (15 +/- 2), when it was calculated from SF, and was from 9% to 32% (18 +/- 2) when it was calculated from BIA. There was a significant correlation between the percent of fat calculated by SF and by BIA (r = 0.94, p < 0.0001 with limits of agreement 4.16 to 1.37 and -0.40 to -3.19). The water content of FFM ranged from 70%-79%(74 +/- 1). There was a weak but significant correlation (r = 0.64, p = 0.016) between protein catabolic rate (PCR) and KT/V (V = 60% of weight). This correlation became more significant (r = 0.83, p = 0.0007) when the V of KT/V was calculated from BIA. The prediction of body composition with the use of bioelectrical impedance is a simple and reliable technique. Serial measurements of BIA might be an important tool for the assessment of the nutritional intervention.

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