Acute peritoneal dialysis is an efficient and reliable alternative therapy in preterm neonates with acute kidney...

This study aimed to assess the underlying causes and outcomes of acute peritoneal dialysis (APD) and the complications of PD procedure in preterm neonates with acute kidney injury (AKI).

A retrospective study of 21 preterm neonates who underwent APD in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Peking University Third Hospital between 2016 and 2019 was conducted. The demographic, clinical, biochemistry, and PD procedure--related information of the neonates was analyzed.

Of the 21 preterm neonates, the average gestational age (GA) was 28.9±2.6 weeks, and the average birth weight was 1,226.7±495.3 g, and included 5 (23.8%) low-birth-weight infants (LBWIs), 7 (33.3%) very LBWIs (VLBWIs), and 9 (42.9%) extremely LBWIs (ELBWIs). The major underlying causes for APD were asphyxia (66.7%, n=14) and twin-twin transfusion syndrome (47.6%, n=10). PD procedure-related complications mainly involved inadequate drainage (n=5, 23.8%) and drainage infections (n=2, 9.5%). The median duration of PD was 3 days (range, 1 hour-20 days). Compared to pre-PD, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum K⁺ levels were significantly decreased post-PD (P<0.05). After PD, edema disappeared in 77.8% (n=14/18) of patients, and 42.9% patients (n=9/21) gained normal urine output. Although 8 of the 21 (38.1%) patients died and 6 (29.6%) abandoned therapy, 7 (33.3%) patients including 1 VLBWI and 3 ELBWI survived.

APD is an efficient and reliable alternative route of renal replacement therapy particularly for reducing BUN and K⁺ levels in preterm neonates with AKI. APD is practicable in critically ill preterm neonates, even in LBWIs and ELBWIs.