Incremental peritoneal dialysis: Clinical outcomes and residual kidney function preservation.

INTRODUCTION: Initiation of peritoneal dialysis (PD) with 3 exchanges has become common practice in recent years, despite the lack of published clinical data.

OBJECTIVE: To describe experience with incremental peritoneal dialysis (IPD) at a single site.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 46 IPD patients undergoing 2-year clinical, laboratory, treatment and progression follow-up.

RESULTS: To 25% of patients were trasplanted on IPD. Mean time on IPD before transfer to conventional PD of 24 months, half of the patients because of fluid balance. Good clinical and biochemical results with a peritonitis rate of one episode per 99 months. There was an improvement in the loss of residual kidney function compared to the pre-dialysis period (-7.06 vs. -1.58ml/min/year; P=.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: IPD with 3 peritoneal exchanges offers good results. Most patients remain stable during the first 2 years and there is an improvement in the loss of residual kidney function compared to the pre-dialysis period.