What Causes Negative UF for Peritoneal Dialysis Patients?

Hello! 😀

Welcome to my guide I've made of all my personal observations of What Causes Negative UF for Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.

If you're feeling lost, you can check out my guide on: What is Ultrafiltration (UF) in Peritoneal Dialysis?

What is Ultrafiltration (UF) in Peritoneal Dialysis?

Ultrafiltration is simply the dialysis name for urination and the monitoring of your UF output is very important in measuring the ongoing effectiveness of your dialysis on a day to day basis. Persistent negative UF figures should be dealt with proactively and in consultation with your medical team.

My Kidney and LaiLai

My understanding is that the following can cause Negative UF:

1. Dehydration
   Solution: Drink more during the day / on dialysis
2. Insufficient Bowel Movement
   Solution: Take your laxatives [Guilty]
3. Fibrin blocking the Catheter holes within your stomach
   Inspect: Drain Bags for cotton like floating strands of fibrin particularly in any painful drains.
   Solution: If not resolved by itself, inform the nurse and they will provide special medicine to help break up the fibrin.
4. Incorrect position of the Catheter.
   Solution: Sitting upright during drain cycles or moving side to side during drain to stimulate the catheter.
   Solution: Consult with nephrologist, may result in a procedure to surgically move the catheter into a more desirable position
5. Peritonitis 😥
   Inspect: Drain bags for cloudiness or particles
   Solution: Inform your Nurses and get yourself on antibiotics ASAP.

If at this point you're panicking about whether or not you're fluid overloaded. First, take a deep breath, hold it ...1...2...3... let it out.

Now check out my guide on How To Tell if I am Fluid Overloaded as a PD Patient?

How To Tell if I am Fluid Overloaded as a PD Patient?

A patient’s guide on how to identify when you are overloaded with too much fluid! Based off real life experience of gaining 3kgs in weight due to insufficient drain cycles and persistent negative UF figures over the month June 2023.

My Kidney and LaiLai

Forgive the cheeky plugs. I hope this quick and easy troubleshoot guide on what might have caused your negative ultrafiltration helps!

Wishing you well on your kidney journey! 😊

A Little About Me:

My name is Lai and I am 26 years old living on Home Peritoneal Dialysis in the UK. I started home peritoneal dialysis in the height of the pandemic in the winter of 2020 and have been on daily 9 hour overnight dialysis ever since, whilst waiting on the national transplant list. I live with my two parents at home but I am the one with the sole responsibility of setting up and dismantling my machine and the general monitoring of my day to day health.

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IG: @My_Kidney_and_Lai
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