AN EVALUATION STUDY TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL USE OF RENAMIL (FORMERLY NAMED REN-O-MIL) FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC-RENAL-FAILURE

Background: Renamil has been formulated as a milk substitute/nutrition al supplement for renal patients. This 3-month study of 16 selected pa tients, six with chronic renal failure, six on chronic intermittent ha emodialysis and four on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAP D), was carried out to evaluate the potential use of Renamil within th ese patient groups. Methods: An initial dose was recommended and advic e provided on the use of Renamil. Palatability and acceptability of th e product were assessed by questionnaire. The patients' serum biochemi stry and nutritional status were monitored. The prescription of Renami l was adjusted during the trial according to individual dietary requir ements, fluid allowance and product tolerance. Results: Ten patients ( 62.5%) completed the trial. Palatability and ease of use were importan t factors. Renamil was used in a wide variety of ways and compared fav ourably with other milk substitutes/nutritional supplements. Conclusio ns: Our findings suggest that Renamil (until recently named Ren-o-mil) does have a role in the nutritional support of renal patients. It is the only milk substitute that has been specifically designed for renal patients. Its formulation makes it useful for the majority of pre-dia lysis patients, a smaller but significant proportion of haemodialysis patients, but only a limited number of patients on CAPD.