Factors affecting hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis efficiency

The peritoneal dialysis system has three major components: the peritoneal microcirculation, the peritoneal membrane, and the dialysate compartment. All these three that includes the composition of the solution and the modalities of delivery. All these three components may have an important impact on the final performance of the technique. As in the hemodialysis system, factors affecting diffusion of solutes as well as factors affecting convective transport may contribute to the final clearance of a given solute. Ultrafiltration responds to the same pressures applied to the extracorporeal dialysis system, but osmotic gradients represent by far the most important active component. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.