Acyclovir and dialysis

Hemodialysis (HD)

Hemodialysis can remove acyclovir while treatment is underway. In a simulation, the timing and length of each session affect how the concentration curve changes.

Try keeping the dose schedule the same while changing the dialysis window. The amount of drug removed in practice also depends on equipment, the treatment prescription, and patient factors.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD)

During peritoneal dialysis, acyclovir can move across the peritoneal membrane into dialysate, which is later drained. Exchange schedules, dwell times, and membrane transport affect how much drug may be removed.

AyFlux provides PD settings to explore these relationships. Its estimates should not be used to choose a PD prescription. For historical measured data, see research on acyclovir in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)

CRRT generally runs over longer periods than intermittent hemodialysis. That changes the timing of drug removal and the shape of the predicted concentration curve. Actual clearance depends on the treatment settings and interruptions, so the same assumptions should not be applied across modalities.

No dialysis and residual kidney function

A no-dialysis scenario provides a useful comparison. If the kidneys still clear some acyclovir, that clearance continues to matter alongside any dialysis treatment.

Comparing scenarios with the same dose and different clearance assumptions helps separate the modeled effects of kidney function and dialysis.

How to compare treatments

1. Keep the dose and other patient settings the same.
2. Change one dialysis setting or treatment mode at a time.
3. Compare the concentration curves alongside the treatment timeline.
4. Check the uncertainty bands before drawing conclusions about small differences.

These comparisons explain the model's behavior; they do not establish a patient-specific dose or dialysis schedule.