Ultrafiltration failure in peritoneal dialysis. Causes and clinical consequences.

Ultrafiltration failure (UFF) is the insufficient ability to remove excess fluid from the body by dialysis. In peritoneal dialysis (PD) this is a common complication, the frequency increases with duration of treatment. In this review a summary of peritoneal transport mechanisms and the conditions associated with UFF are discussed. The 2 most common circumstances in which ultrafiltration failure occurs, peritonitis and long-term PD treatment, are outlined more extensively. In addition a diagnostic approach and therapeutic options for the different causes of UFF are given.