IN PREDIALYSIS AND HAEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS, A
RECOMMENDED INITIAL DOSE OF EPOETIN ALFA IS 50 INTER-
NATIONAL UNITS PER KG BODY-WEIGHT THREE TIMES WEEK-
LY; A HIGHER INITIAL DOSE OF 50 TO 100 UNITS PER KG THREE TIMES WEEKLY HAS BEEN SUGGESTED IN THE USA. DOSES MAY BE INCREASED AT 4-WEEK INTERVALS IN INCREMENTS OF 25 UNITS PER KG THREE TIMES WEEKLY UNTIL THE TARGET IS REACHED. IN PATIENTS ON PERITONEAL DIALYSIS AN INITIAL DOSE OF 50 UNITS PER KG GIVEN SUBCUTANEOUSLY TWICE A WEEK IS RECOMMENDED. ONCE THE TARGET IS REACHED DOSES MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED, AND EVEN DECREASED, FOR MAINTENANCE THERAPY. THE USUAL TOTAL WEEKLY MAINTENANCE DOSE OF EPOETIN ALFA IN PREDIALYSIS PATIENTS IS 50 TO 100 UNITS PER KG GIVEN IN THREE DIVIDED DOSES, AND IN HAEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS IT IS ABOUT 100 TO 300 UNITS PER KG GIVEN IN THREE DIVIDED DOSES. IN PREDIALYSIS PATIENTS A TOTAL
WEEKLY DOSE OF 600 UNITS PER KG SHOULD NOT BE EXCEEDED. IN PATIENTS ON PERITONEAL DIALYSIS, THE USUAL TOTAL WEEKLY MAINTENANCE DOSE IS 50 TO 100 UNITS PER KG GIVEN SUBCUTANEOUSLY IN TWO DIVIDED DOSES.