BICARBONATE AND BICARBONATE LACTATE PERITONEAL-DIALYSIS SOLUTIONS FORTHE TREATMENT OF INFUSION PAIN/

Bicarbonate and bicarbonate/lactate peritoneal dialysis solutions for the treatment of infusion pain. A randomized, double-blind, cross-over study was undertaken to determine the effects of novel bicarbonate (3 8 mM) and bicarbonate (25 mM)/lactate (15 mM) containing peritoneal di alysis (PD) solutions on infusion pain in patients who experienced inf low pain with conventional lactate (40 mM) solution. Pain was assessed using a verbal rating scale and the validated McGill Pain Questionnai re (MPQ). Eighteen patients were recruited to the study. Both novel so lutions resulted in highly statistically significant reductions in inf low pain compared to the control lactate solution, as assessed with bo th the verbal rating scale and the MPQ. For all pain variables assesse d, the bicarbonate/lactate solution was more effective than the bicarb onate solution in alleviating pain. In conclusion, both solutions redu ced the infusion pain experienced with control solution, but the bicar bonate/lactate solution appears to be the most effective. In contrast to the most widespread current treatment, which is the manual injectio n of sodium bicarbonate, the bicarbonate/lactate solution does not hav e the associated increased risk of peritonitis.