My Recent Dialysis Labs

Monthly, those on Peritoneal Dialysis have labs taken the results of which are discussed during our dialysis team meeting. I had labs drawn last Wednesday, and am scheduled to meet with my dialysis team at 0830 this Thursday. The results determine whether the current dialysis prescription is working, how well, and what it might be going forward. It is an important activity in the life of a peritoneal dialysis patient.

With these thoughts in mind, I always pour over my results to see what and where improvement might be made, and where I’m failing. I’ve incorporated my lab results into the 4×14 table below. The first column is what was measured, the second is the 10/3/2023 result, the third column is what it was the last lab for trending info, and the last column is lab specifications.

Of all the readings above, the ONE that concerns me the most is wKt/V which measures whether or not I am getting enough dialysis to adequately clean my blood. For reasons not known to me, it has dropped; not a lot, but dropped. Why? Of all the readings above the ones that I am most pleased with relate to diabetes; glucose = 96 an hour after having breakfast is outstanding. An A1c of 5.8 suggests tight diabetic control which is what I’m striving for as should any diabetic patient. My CGM is really helping out in this area.

So my one point of discussion with my dialysis team next Thursday will center around two aspects: 1. My recent surgery to reposition my catheter and results (to date no alarms now), and 2. Should I be concerned about the reduced wKt/V reading?