Peritoneal dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a form of renal replacement therapy used to treat patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This treatment utilizes the peritoneum, a membrane lining the abdominal cavity, as a natural filter to remove waste products and excess fluid from the bloodstream.

During PD, a sterile dialysis solution is infused into the abdominal cavity through a catheter. The solution remains in the abdomen for a prescribed dwell time, allowing waste and excess fluids to diffuse into the solution from the blood vessels in the peritoneal lining. After this period, the solution, now containing waste products, is drained from the abdomen and replaced with fresh solution. This process can be performed manually several times a day (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, CAPD) or through a machine at night (automated peritoneal dialysis, APD).