OBJECTIVE: To compare body water (V) estimates from the Chertow formula (Vc), which was derived in an end-stage renal disease population, to V estimates from the Watson formulas (Vw) in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. To identify CAPD patients in whom Vc is preferred to Vw for clearance studies. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of clearance studies. SETTING: Dialysis units of four academic medical centers. PARTICIPANTS: 302 subjects on CAPD. INTERVENTION: 613 clearance studies by standard methods. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparisons between Vc and Vw, and between urea clearance normalized by Vc [(KtVc)ur] and Vw [(Kt/Vw)ur]. RESULTS: Vc exceeded Vw by 3.5 +/- 1.6 L (p < 0.001), or 9.6% on average. This degree of overestimation of Vw is in the range of body water estimates found in CAPD subjects with severe volume overload (> 5% of body weight) in previous studies. Total (Kt/Nw)ur exceeded total (Kt/Vc)ur by 8.6%. By linear regression, Vc = -0.589 + (1.112 x Vw), r = 0.983. Vw exceeded Vc in only 12 studies. Young age, short height, low body weight, and low prevalence of diabetes characterized the studies with Vw > Vc. Total (Kt/Vw)ur was adequate (> or = 2.0 weekly) in 276 studies. Among these, 74 studies had inadequate total (Kt/Vc)ur (< 2.0 weekly). By logistic regression, the predictors of inadequate (Kt/Vc)ur, when (Kt/Vw)ur was adequate, included the presence of diabetes, great height, and long duration of CAPD. CONCLUSIONS: Vc provides estimates of body water exceeding those provided by Vw in a great majority of CAPD patients. Consequently, approximately 25% of the clearance studies that are adequate when Vw is used as the normalizing parameter may be inadequate when Vc is used. Vc may provide a more appropriate estimate of body water than Vw in CAPD patients with volume overload.
OBJECTIVE: To compare body water (V) estimates from the Chertow formula (Vc), which was derived in an end-stage renal disease population, to V estimates from the Watson formulas (Vw) in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. To identify CAPD patients in whom Vc is preferred to Vw for clearance studies. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of clearance studies. SETTING: Dialysis units of four academic medical centers. PARTICIPANTS: 302 subjects on CAPD. INTERVENTION: 613 clearance studies by standard methods. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparisons between Vc and Vw, and between urea clearance normalized by Vc [(KtVc)ur] and Vw [(Kt/Vw)ur]. RESULTS: Vc exceeded Vw by 3.5 +/- 1.6 L (p < 0.001), or 9.6% on average. This degree of overestimation of Vw is in the range of body water estimates found in CAPD subjects with severe volume overload (> 5% of body weight) in previous studies. Total (Kt/Nw)ur exceeded total (Kt/Vc)ur by 8.6%. By linear regression, Vc = -0.589 + (1.112 x Vw), r = 0.983. Vw exceeded Vc in only 12 studies. Young age, short height, low body weight, and low prevalence of diabetes characterized the studies with Vw > Vc. Total (Kt/Vw)ur was adequate (> or = 2.0 weekly) in 276 studies. Among these, 74 studies had inadequate total (Kt/Vc)ur (< 2.0 weekly). By logistic regression, the predictors of inadequate (Kt/Vc)ur, when (Kt/Vw)ur was adequate, included the presence of diabetes, great height, and long duration of CAPD. CONCLUSIONS: Vc provides estimates of body water exceeding those provided by Vw in a great majority of CAPD patients. Consequently, approximately 25% of the clearance studies that are adequate when Vw is used as the normalizing parameter may be inadequate when Vc is used. Vc may provide a more appropriate estimate of body water than Vw in CAPD patients with volume overload.