Hematocrit and Residual Renal Creatinine Clearance in Patients Undergoing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD)

In a recent report, the relationship between renal creatinine clearance and hematocrit in patients with renal creatinine clearances, ranging from 55 to 8 mL per min. per 1.73 square meters of body surface area, was analyzed (1). The authors of this study have performed a crosssectional analysis of the relationship of hematocrit to residual renal creatinine clearance in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The authors of this study wanted to examine whether or not these hematocrits fall within extrapolations of the published 95% confidence limits for males and females with renal failure prior to end-stage renal disease and dialytic intervention. Authors also compare d regression intercepts at residual creatinine clearances of 0. Most of the CAPD patients had hematocrits within the upper half or above the extrapolated 95% confidence limits for the predialysis population. Within the CAPD population, there were no significant correlations of hematocrit with residual creatinine clearance at these lower ranges. The degree of scatter in the CAPD population for hematocrit values was similar to that in the predialysis population. Residual creatinine clearance appears to be a crude index of the increasing severity of multiple factors that may contribute to the anemia. CAPD appears to maintain or improve hematocrit as renal mass and function decline.