Evolution of residual renal function in patients undergoing maintenance haemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

A study has been carried out to compare over an 18 month period the residual glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measured by the creatinine clearance in two matched groups of 25 patients with end-stage renal disease. One group was treated by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, the other one by maintenance haemodialysis. GFR was similar in both groups immediately before starting dialysis therapy, respectively 4.3 +/- 2.3 and 4.4 +/- 2.4 ml/min. From the beginning of the dialysis treatment to the eighteenth month there was a significant and progressive decrease of GFR in the group of patients treated by haemodialysis, while in the peritoneal dialysis group GFR and peritoneal clearances remained stable.