Abstract: Peritoneal dialysis fluids and the use thereof for performing peritoneal dialysis are disclosed. The peritoneal dialysis fluid comprises a physiologically acceptable aqueous solution containing physiologically acceptable inorganic anions and cations and, as an osmotic agent, at least one sugar derivative, at concentrations sufficient for the removal of water and solutes from a patient by peritoneal dialysis. The sugar derivative is a compound of formula wherein each SG, which may be the same or different, represents a residue of a physiologically acceptable metabolizable sugar, SA represents a residue of a physiologically acceptable metabolizable sugar alcohol, n is from 1 to 4 and represents a glycoside linkage which is cleavable by an &agr;-glycosidase enzyme.