Evaluation of efficacy of standard haemodialysis and verapamil added peritoneal dialysis

Abstract

The study was carried out on 30 adult subjects of acute renal failure who were randomly divided into two groups of 15 patients each. Group A patients were subjected to standard haemodialysis (HD) for 4 hours using holofibre dialyser and group B patients received 36 hours of peritoneal dialysis (PD) where Verapamil was added intraperitonealy in the dose of 10 mg/ L/cycle in the clearance periods III, V, VII, IX and XI (Total dose 150 mg). The 36 hours of PD consisted of 36 cycles of one hour duration each and these were divided into 12 clearance periods (CP) of 3 cycles each. Following both the forms of dialytic treatments, there was significant improvement in the signs of uraemia with fall in the blood urea and serum creatinine levels. The peritoneal clearances, percentage fall of urea and creatinine, and protein loss were similar in the two groups (p > 0.5). However, ultrafiltration was significantly higher in the group B. No untoward effects were noticed in group B however group A patients had episodes of hypotension (5)] disequilibrium (6) and cardiac arrhythmias (1). It can be concluded that both clinically and biochemically, 36 hours of Verapamil added PD and 4 hours of hemodialysis are comparable and therefore, peritoneal dialysis may be used more frequently in acute renal failure specially in situations where trained dialysis staff is not available and patients are not haemodynamically stable.