One year's experience with recombinant erythropoietin in children undergoing continuous ambulatory or cycling...

Fourteen patients (aged 5.9-22.1 years) undergoing continuous ambulatory or cycling peritoneal dialysis were treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO), which was given intravenously once a week at a dosage of 300 units/kg. The mean haematocrit level increased from 18.5% to 27.5% and the reticulocyte count from 19% to 62% within 1 month. After an average time of 3.1 months rhEPO dosage could be adjusted to 100 units/kg per week to keep the haematocrit level at 30%. Only 1 patient had an exacerbation of hypertension, which required a dosage reduction; other side-effects were not noted.