Background: Dosage for peritoneal dialysis (PD) in acute kidney injury (AKI) is controversial. This study aims to find benefits and risks of intensive versus minimal standard dosage of PD in AKI.

Methods: In a tertiary-hospital, 93 AKI patients who required PD between May 2015 and January 2016 were enrolled in a randomized, open-label controlled study. Patients were randomized to intensive group (> 30 L) and minimal standard group (< 20 L) of PD volume per day for the first 2 consecutive days. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcomes were peritonitis rate, dialysis dependence, and PD leakage.

Results: Seventy-five patients were analyzed (intensive PD n = 39; minimal standard PD n = 36). Mean age was 60 years. Most patients were in critical care (72% unstable hemodynamic, mean APACHE II score 26.2). Kt/V delivery per session was 0.61 and 0.38 in intensive and minimal standard PD dosage for the first 2 consecutive sessions. According to intention-to-treat analysis, the in-hospital mortality rate of intensive PD dosage was not significantly different from the minimal standard PD dosage (79% vs 63%, relative risk [RR] 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80 to 1.51, p = 0.13). The dialysis dependence rate and PD leakage were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The rate of PD peritonitis was slightly higher in the intensive PD dosage group (15.3% vs 8.3%, p = 0.34).

Conclusion: Among AKI patients who required PD, there was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality between intensive and minimal standard PD dosage.