Prevalence of protein malnutrition in children maintained on peritoneal dialysis.

A paucity of outcome measures exist for children, making evidence-based treatment guidelines difficult to establish. Serum albumin has been identified as a surrogate marker for nutritional status and morbidity/mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We hypothesized that the prevalence of low serum albumin (<2.9 g/dl) in children on peritoneal dialysis (PD) may be greater, making this population at risk. Patient data were collected prospectively over 24 months (1999-2000) from all children (1-18 years) maintained on either hemodialysis (HD) or PD within the six-state New England area; 64 observations were made on 39 children on PD over the 2-year period. The mean age was 11.7+/-4.7 years (mean+/-SD). The prevalence of low serum albumin in children was 35.9% (23/64 observations) compared with 19.5% (712/3,719 observations) in adult Network ESRD patients on PD ( P<0.004). None of the 32 children (47 observations) maintained on HD exhibited low serum albumin during the data collection period. The prevalence of low serum albumin in adult HD patients was 5.5%. Dietary protein intake was estimated from a calculated protein catabolic rate (PCR). PCRs in children treated with both PD and HD were similar, averaging 1.1+/-0.4 g/kg per day (mean+/-SD). Thus, children maintained on PD are at greater risk of protein malnutrition compared with peers treated with HD and adults on PD or HD. A PCR of approximately 1 g/kg per day may not be adequate to maintain nutrition.