deBoer AW, van Schajik TCJG, Willems JL, Reddinguis RE, Monnens LAH, Schroeder CH
Standardization of pediatric PET test: Results with a dwell volume of 1200 mL/m2
XVIth Annual CAPD Conference
Perit Dial Int Suppl 2 (Feb) 16:S6 1996

In adult CAPD patients standard dwell volumes of 2000 ml are used. In children volumes are usually prescribed in relation to body weight using 40 ml/kg as a guideline. The authors set up a protocol to evaluate if fluid kinetics in children was different from adults when using body surface area instead of body weight to prescribe dwell volumes.

One group of children (n=11) was prescribed a dwell volume according to body surface area (1213 +/_ 49 ml/m2). The other group (n=13) was prescribed a volume based on weight (40.3 +/- 0.3 ml/kg). No difference as observed between the two groups for transcapillary ultrafiltration (TCUF) and clearances. When dwell volume was based on BSA, there was no correlation between TCUF and age, whereas TCUF was positively correlated with age when dwell volume was prescribed based on weight.

The authors conclude that fluid kinetics in children are not different from adults and that the apparent relationship between age and TCUF is due to prescription of dwell volume based on weight instead of BSA.

Comment: This work is original and interesting as it gives us a method for standardizing peritoneal equilibration tests in children, whatever their age. From a statistical point of view the study leaves something to be desired, as it is based on comparison of means of two different groups each with a smalln number of cases. It would have been more meaningful to perform paired tests with dwell volumes based on both BSA and weight in the same children. (Christian Verger, M.D., Pointoise, France)

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XVIth Annual CAPD Conference
Basic peritoneal dialysis : PET testing
CRF by problem area : CRF in infants and children