Tidal PD: its role in the current practice of peritoneal dialysis.

The role of tidal peritoneal dialysis (TPD) has been the subject of several studies over the past 30 years. The use of the newest generation of cyclers combined with the increasing number of chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD) patients being maintained on cycler therapy has stimulated a reexamination of the role of TPD in the care of CPD patients. Several studies over the past decade have examined solute clearances with TPD in patients. These studies suggest that TPD does not result in an increase in clearances when compared to conventional intermittent peritoneal dialysis (IPD). TPD is now primarily used for comfort in patients who experience pain at the start of inflow and/or at the end of outflow. In TPD, the presence of at least some fluid in the abdomen during the exchanges generally eliminates these episodes of pain. It has recently been suggested that accurate assessment of drain and fill phases during automated PD may be helpful in redefining a role for TPD in CPD patients. If the 'slow' drainage time can be kept to a minimum, then it is possible that the efficiency of PD could be enhanced. Defining the critical volume and then optimizing the TPD regimen could perhaps increase the clearances noted with TPD.