Hope for peritoneal fibrosis?

Over time, the peritoneum can become fibrous and thickened, and less able to filter the blood during PD. A new study in rats suggests that erythropoietin (EPO) may help. Rats treated with EPO had less fibrosis. Down the road, perhaps this finding will help people.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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New resource for intraperitoneal drug delivery

On PD, it's not hard to inject a drug into the PD bag so it goes into the peritoneum. Which drugs are safest and most effective this way? A new article tells you the scoop.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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Pain meds may one day protect the peritoneum

COX-2 inhibitors fight pain and inflammation. A new study in mice has found that COX-2 drugs were able to reduce fibrosis and damage to the peritoneum caused by PD fluid. This finding may one day help people to do PD longer.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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Icodextrin improved nutrition and inflammation in PD

Replacing glucose-based PD fluid with icodextrin led to 66% better fluid removal, significantly higher protein levels, and significantly lower levels of the inflammation marker CRP.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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Extended catheters make PD possible for more people

For those who can't have an abdominal PD catheter, an "extended" (i.e., presternal) catheter that can exit in the chest can make PD work. A new study found 1, 2, and 3-year catheter success rates that were slightly lower than standard PD catheters.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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Survival on PD beats standard in-center HD hands down

Studies done with data from the early 1990s found better survival on standard in-center HD than PD. But a new study pairing 6,337 PD patients who started treatment in 2003 with standard HD patients found just the opposite. Survival was significantly better with PD—especially for those under 65, and those who did not have heart disease or diabetes.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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Not even a little bit pregnant

How much does waist size really grow on PD? Not much at all. A new study measured 44 PD'ers around the belly at hip and belly button height—full and empty. The average difference? About 3 cm or less—just about an inch and a quarter.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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Dialysate regeneration for home HD

Dr. Ronco's been busy: he is also a co-author on an article this month about a system to use two activated carbon columns to regenerate dialysate.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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Fresenius publishes home study of 2008K machine

A newly-released study follows 29 stable HD patients in-center for 6 months and then at home for 6 months on 2008H or K machines. While in-center, patients had 5.84 adverse events per 100 treatments—which dropped to just 3.34 events per 100 treatments at home.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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Older patients had better quality of life, fewer burdens, on PD

Among 140 people aged 65 or older, those using PD had fewer symptoms and felt that PD intruded less into their lives than those on HD. People on PD had better quality of life, too.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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