Peritoneal dialysis improves quality-of-life in a left ventricular assist device destination therapy patient-a case report

Home Dialysis in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases

Kidney failure with replacement therapy and cardiovascular disease are frequently comorbid. In patients with kidney failure with replacement therapy, cardiovascular disease is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality. Conventional thrice-weekly in-center dialysis confers risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including acute hemodynamic fluctuations and rapid shifts in volume and solute concentration. Home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD) may offer benefits in attenuation of cardiovascular disease risk factors primarily through improved volume and BP control, reduction (or slowing progression) of left ventricular mass, decreased myocardial stunning, and improved bone and mineral metabolism. Importantly, although trial data are available for several of these risk factors for home hemodialysis, evidence for PD is limited. Among patients with prevalent cardiovascular disease, home hemodialysis and PD may also have potential benefits. PD may offer particular advantages in heart failure given it removes volume directly from the splanchnic circulation, thus offering an efficient method of relieving intravascular congestion. PD also avoids the risk of blood stream infections in patients with cardiac devices or venous wires. We recognize that both home hemodialysis and PD are also associated with potential risks, and these are described in more detail. We conclude with a discussion of barriers to home dialysis and the critical importance of interdisciplinary care models as one component of advancing health equity with respect to home dialysis.

Peritoneal Dialysis in Critically Ill Patients: Time for a Critical Reevaluation?

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) as an AKI treatment in adults was widely accepted in critical care settings well into the 1980s. The advent of extracorporeal continuous KRT led to widespread decline in the use of PD for AKI across high-income countries. The lack of familiarity and comfort with the use of PD in critical care settings has also led to lack of use even among those receiving maintenance PD. Many critical care units reflexively convert patients receiving maintenance PD to alternative dialysis therapies at admission. Renewed interest in the use of PD for AKI therapy has emerged due to its increasing use in low- and middle-income countries. In high-income countries, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, saw PD for AKI used early on, where many critical care units were in crisis and relied on PD use when resources for other AKI therapy modalities were limited. In this review, we highlight advantages and disadvantages of PD in critical care settings and indications and contraindications for its use. We provide an overview of literature to support both PD treatment during AKI and its continuation as a maintenance therapy during critical illness. For AKI therapy, we further discuss establishment of PD access, PD prescription management, and complication monitoring and treatment. Finally, we discuss expansion in the use of PD for AKI therapy extending beyond its role during times of resource constraints.

Peritoneal dialysis and LVAD bridge to successful heart-kidney transplant

Kidney injury and cardio-renal syndrome is a common complication of end-stage cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Although renal function often improves after placement of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), this is frequently not sustained, and many patients progress to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). In-centre haemodialysis (HD) is the most common dialysis modality in patients with LVADs and there are only rare case reports of maintenance dialysis with peritoneal dialysis (PD) in patients with VADs. Barriers to the use of PD as renal replacement modality in patients with LVAD include lack of familiarity with acute-start PD, concerns regarding interruption of anticoagulation for PD catheter placement and historic concerns of PD-associated peritonitis risk causing VAD drive-line infection, though this risk is reduced with modern pre-peritoneal VAD drive-lines. PD may offer advantages in this cohort including improved haemodynamic stability and avoidance of vascular access, with lower rates of bloodstream infections as compared to HD. PD may also aid preservation and restoration of kidney function in patients with LVADs and kidney injury. We report a case of a patient with non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy and existing LVAD, with ESKD managed successfully with maintenance PD. The patient was maintained on PD for 10 months prior to a subsequent successful combined heart-kidney transplant.