[Anemia treatment in peritoneal dialysis patients].

Anemia is highly prevalent among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and patients receiving renal replacement therapy. In this paper we will outline the prevention and treatment of anemia in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD). PD patients are less anemic and more sensitive to erythropoesis-stimulating agent (ESA) than their hemodialysis (HD) counterparts and, in general, dosages required for achieving similar hemoglobin levels to those achieved in HD patients are remarkably less. Before starting with ESA treatment we have to evaluate the degree of anemia and excluded other causes which are not connected with CKD and method of treatment. Patient's compliance is crucial for a successful therapy and it can be improved by decreasing frequency of administration of ESA. Since ESAare expensive, "cost-effectivnes" studies represent an important factor in choosing a distinct drug. Subcutaneous administration provides better long-term utilization of ESA in comparison to intravenous administration and is therefore preferred in PD patients. Intraperitoneal administration is not recommended due to poor bioavailability. In some patients we can observe the reduced response to ESA therapy. The definition of reduced response is generally regarded as a failure to achieve target hemoglobin concentration of >11 g/dL. Identification of underlying cause is not always easy but every attempt should be made to investigate every patient with resistance to therapy because some causes are easily corrected. Since 2005 particular ESA drugs have been approved by Croatian Institute for Health Insurance and registered for use in Croatia. For PD patients the ESAcan be prescribed by general practitioner. The list of available drugs is available in the official government newspaper Nardone novine No.27, March 2nd, 2009.