- Types of PD [51]
a) Intermittent PD
Intermittent PD is not routinely performed because the patient needs to
be hospitalized every 3 days.
b) Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD)
With CAPD, the patient performs 3-5 dialysate exchanges a day using
the double-bag technique. With this technique, one empty bag is used
to drain the peritoneal cavity and the other contains the dialysate
solution (1.5 to 3L), both connected with a Y connector. First, the
peritoneal cavity is allowed to drain from the previous dwell keeping
the dialysate channel closed, then, the draining tube is flushed with
dialysate solution keeping the PD catheter closed. Finally the dialysate
solution is allowed in the peritoneum, keeping the draining tube closed
(Fig...)
c) Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD)
APD is a technology that allows for a more convenient “automated”
dialysis performed by newly developed PD machines. Advantages of
APD are higher dialysate volumes and greater number of cycles with
decreased dwell times.
A variations of APD includes “tidal dialysis”, in which, after the
dialysate is infused, it is allowed to drain only partially in between
exchanges and replaced by new “fresh” dialysate solution. The
peritoneum is completely drained at the end of the day. It seems to
reduce the pain associated with rapid exchanges of dialysate fluid.
