Peritoneal dialysis for adults with acute renal failure : an underutilized modality

In order to evaluate the effects of peritoneal dialysis as a modality of renal replacement therapy for adults with acute renal failure (ARF) of varied etiologies, we studied 43 ARF patients who underwent peritoneal dialysis at our hospital from April 2004 to November 2005. The age of the patients ranged from 18 to 75 years with a mean of 35 years. There was no significant difference in the incidence of ARF between males and females. Acute tubular necrosis secondary to acute gastroenteritis was the cause of ARF in 32 (80 %) patients ; four (10 %) patients expired secondary to ARF. There was an average fall of around 60 % in the S. creatinine at the end of PD. We did not notice any significant complications related to the procedure. We conclude that peritoneal dialysis is still a good option for the treatment of patients with ATN.