An analysis of the single-pool urea kinetic model and estimation of errors

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Abstract
The single-pool urea kinetic model assumes that urea is distributed within the body in a volume Vf at a uniform concentration. It may be used to describe the clearance of urea during and following haemodialysis, and to determine the value of the urea concentration at the end of dialysis Cf or the urea generation rate G, and the urea distribution volume Vf. The protein catabolic rate (PCR) is obtained using the ratio G/Vf. The sensitivity of the predictions of the model to small errors in the experimentally estimated model parameters is evaluated and suggests that the model prediction of Cf is relatively insensitive to errors in the estimate of G, but more sensitive to errors in Vf and dialyser clearance K. The determination of G from urea concentration measurements made during dialysis alone is very sensitive to errors. The accurate estimation of G requires the use of concentration measurements made between dialyses. The calculation of the PCR is very sensitive to errors in G and Vf since these are not independent and must be used with caution, particularly when used to compare values between patients.