[Successful peritoneal dialysis in a premature infant with a birth weight of 850 grams--a case report].

A very low birth weight (850 g) premature infant developed a life threatening hyperkalemia and cardiac dysrhythmia on the first day of life. Standard treatment of hyperkalemia with calcium, dextrose-insulin, sodium-polystyrene sulfonate was ineffective. Therefore peritoneal dialysis was performed, which rapidly lowered the plasma potassium concentration from 10 to 5 mEq/l. The baby is now nine months old and physically and mentally well developed. This case report should encourage the prompt decision for a peritoneal dialysis even in the very low birth weight infant if dangerous metabolic derangements are otherwise unamenable to treatment.