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PRINCIPLES OF PERITONEAL DIALYSIS
Peritoneal Dialysis removes waste products from the blood by use of the peritoneum, the membrane covering the intestinal organs located in the abdominal cavity. Using a surgically implanted catheter, a sterile dialysis solution is introduced into the peritoneal cavity and the peritoneum operates as the dialyzing membrane. Peritoneal Dialysis usually requires the introduction and disposal of solutions four times a day (CAPD = Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis) or is supported by a machine cycling solution to and from the patient's peritoneum during sleep (APD = Automated Peritoneal Dialysis). Most peritoneal treatments are self-administered by patients in their homes and workplaces. 
