Peritoneal Dialysis Stock Photo

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a treatment for patients with severe chronic kidney disease. This type of dialysis uses the patient's peritoneum in the abdomen as a membrane across which fluids and dissolved substances (electrolytes, urea, glucose, albumin, osmotically active particles, and other small molecules) are exchanged from the blood. Fluid is introduced through a permanent tube in the abdomen and flushed out either every night while the patient sleeps (automatic peritoneal dialysis) or via regular exchanges throughout the day (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis).