ABSTRACT
Hypertension is one of the main factors contributing to morbidity and mortality in dialysis patients. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients have been reported to have lower blood pressure (BP) in the first 6 months or so of treatment. After that, their BP can be the same or higher than that seen in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We compared BP control between our PD patients and our HD patients. Systolic BP and pulse pressure were better controlled in PD patients; those PD patients required many fewer drugs. The difference was statistically significant. Anuric PD patients had a BP as good as that of the non anuric PD patients. Because PD is a constant treatment, fluid removal is much easier than in HD. To achieve good BP control, nurses, dieticians, and physicians must all have the same approach: that is, always to be aggressive in volume control as a first measure for achieving an adequate BP The team approach results in better BP control than that seen in HD.
