Icodextrin use during the long dwell of a peritoneal dialysis (PD) regimen is commonly used to increase ultrafiltration. Its use may cause a mild and clinically insignificant degree of hyponatremia. We describe a patient who was admitted twice to our medical center on an atypical continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) regimen utilizing solely icodextrin with 2 exchanges (12-hour dwells). On both admissions, he had hyperosmolar hyponatremia in the 120-mmol/L range with a large osmolal gap. After icodextrin was stopped and his PD prescription was switched to dextrose solutions, both hyponatremia corrected and the osmolal gap quickly disappeared. The accumulation of osmotically active solute in extracellular fluids results in efflux of water from the cellular compartment and produces both hyponatremia and hypertonicity [ 1 ]. This tonic effect occurs most frequently with hyperglycemia, but other substances can also cause this, including mannitol, sorbitol, glycine, and maltose [ 1 , 2 ]. In this report, we present a patient with end-stage renal disease (ERSD) on an atypical off-label PD regimen utilizing solely icodextrin solutions who developed hyperosmolar hyponatremia in the 120-mmol/L range, with a large osmolal gap. This appeared to be due to absorbed metabolites of icodextrin, mainly maltose.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.