Dialysis center chosen A study published in the June issue of
Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine revealed that
pediatric patients with end stage renal disease received one of
two kinds of dialysis. One kind, less invasive than the other,
is more often given when the center serves greater numbers of
pediatric patients. Children treated at facilities with more
than 10 percent pediatric patients were 60 percent more likely
to be treated using peritoneal dialysis. At facilities that had
1 to 5 percent pediatric patients, children were less likely to
receive peritoneal dialysis in favor of hemodialysis. Peritoneal
dialysis uses the lining of the abdomen to filter blood when a
cleansing solution is introduced into the abdomen by catheter.
Fluid, wastes and chemicals pass from the peritoneal membrane
into the solution, which is then drained and replaced with new.
This procedure can be carried out in the home. Hemodialysis,
which uses a filter attached to a machine to cleanse the blood,
is generally done a