Dialysis adequacy is a term used to describe how well any dialysis therapy effectively mitigates some of the uraemic complications of end-stage renal disease. In the simplest terms, dialysis adequacy measures the dose of dialysis and judges it to be sufficient (adequate) or insufficient (inadequate). In peritoneal dialysis, adequacy refers to the ability of dialysis to perform any or all of myriad tasks including (a) removing metabolic waste products, (b) maintaining proper fluid balance and blood pressure control, (c) removing excess electrolytes, (d) correcting acid–base imbalances, (e) maintaining healthy bone mineral metabolism, and (f) promoting the maintenance of a proper nutritional status. In practice, peritoneal dialysis adequacy is most often measured mono-dimensionally, in terms of small solute (i.e. urea) clearances; however, it is most useful to incorporate a wider view of dialysis adequacy when caring for patients with end-stage renal disease.
Retrospective review of bone mineral metabolism management in end-stage renal disease patients wait-listed for renal transplant