Protein Restriction Recommendations in a Patient with Renal Failure

A patient with renal disease may need to restrict protein intake as renal function deteriorates.

GFR in mL/min	protein restriction in grams protein per kg body weight
> 70 mL/min	none
31 – 70 mL/min	0.55 – 0.60 g/kg per day
21 – 30 mL/min	0.50 g/kg per day
6 – 20 mL/min	0.45 g/kg per day
0 – 5 mL/min	0.40 g/kg per day
peritoneal dialysis	1.2 – 1.5 g/kg per day
hemodialysis	1.0 – 1.2 g/kg per day

where:

• Table 4 has 0.6 g/kg for 21-30 mL/min, but this appears to be a typographical error.

• Dialysis is a catabolic process that results in loss of essential amino acids.

The amount of protein may need to be increased during infection or other conditions that increase the catabolic rate.

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