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Peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis is the most common type of infection related to this therapy. It is associated with important outcomes such as protein-energy wasting, increased costs secondary to treatment and medical visits, changes in the peritoneal membrane, need for transfer to hemodialysis (temporary or definitive) and, in a low percentage, death. Therefore, the rate of peritonitis is a reflection of the quality of the dialysis units and must be measured. The most recent literature from the ISPD 2022 comments that the annual rate of peritonitis should be no more than 0.4 episodes/patient-year
The records of patients on automated peritoneal dialysis who presented peritonitis in the nephrology service of the institute between January 2019 and December 2021 were retrospectively evaluated
A total of 49 episodes of peritonitis occurred, of which 63% were in men, with a median age of 44+/-16 years, and 55% of them with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. The average time on peritoneal dialysis until the peritonitis episode was 42 months. The peritonitis rate was 0.19 episodes/patient-year in 2019, 0.19 episodes/patient-year in 2020, and 0.17 episodes/patient-year in 2021. Four cases of refractory peritonitis (8.1%), six patients (12%) migrate to hemodialysis, all permanently, and no patient died due to peritonitis
PERITONITIS EPISODES n=49
BASAL CHARACTERISTICS
VALUE
Male (%)
31 (63%)
Age (years)
44 ± 16
Vintage on dialysis (months)
42 ± 30
Patients with DM (%)
13 (26%)
Etiology of kidney disease
Diabetes mellitus 2 (%)
Unknown etiology (%)
27 (55%)
Glomerulophathy (%)
5 (10%)
Others (%)
4 (9%)
Urinary volume (ml)
233
Urinary volume >500 ml
12 (24%)
Time of onset of symptoms (days)
3 ± 5
Abdominal Pain (%)
Cloudy effluent
15 (30%)
Fever
4 (8%)
Switch to hemodialysis (%)
6(12%)
* DM: Diabetes Mellitus
The peritoneal dialysis clinic of our institute has a peritonitis rate within the established international goal, and is even close to 50% below what is established