Continuous flow peritoneal dialysis: is there a need for it?

Abstract

Automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) is the fastest growing technique of peritoneal dialysis. However, recently APD has displayed some limitations imposed by the characteristics of the technique and by the characteristics of the peritoneal membrane of some patients. In general, the advent of a new technique such as continuous flow peritoneal dialysis (CFPD) should be seen as a benefit for several patients based on different considerations: CFPD is a high-efficiency technique which could overcome some of the limitations imposed by other techniques in terms of adequacy targets and performance. CFPD may become a useful tool to keep patients on PD who would otherwise be transferred to hemodialysis. CFPD may present advantages in terms of biocompatibility and also in terms of the possible modulation of the peritoneal solution to patient needs. Recent developments in technology seem to have made CFPD easily feasible and well tolerated. A new era of PD is probably beginning and CFPD will definitely represent one of the key issues in the future of PD.