
5. Description
5-2 HomeChoice APD Systems Patient At-Home Guide October 2, 2009 07-19-61-244
5.2 Introduction to Peritoneal Dialysis
Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) is a procedure that cleans and filters the blood. Peritoneal
dialysis rids the body of unwanted waste and excess fluid, helps to control blood
pressure, and maintains the proper balance of chemicals such as potassium,
sodium, and bicarbonate in the body. This process of cleansing the blood uses the
body’s own peritoneal membrane as a filter. See Figure 5-1.
Figure 5-1. Peritoneal Cavity
The basic steps of PD are the following:
1. Peritoneal dialysis usually begins with an initial drain to remove existing fluid
from the peritoneal cavity.
2. The peritoneal cavity is filled with fresh dialysis solution. Solution enters
through a catheter that has been surgically placed through the wall of the
abdomen and into the peritoneal cavity.
1. Peritoneal Cavity
2. Catheter
3. Peritoneal Membrane
1
2
3
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