INTERMITTENT PERITONEAL-DIALYSIS A 12 YEA RS EXPERIENCE

Since 1981, we have treated 46 adults aged 56 +/- 21 years, of whom 17 were diabetic, with intermittent peritoneal dialysis. Their mean time on dialysis has been 21 months with an accumulated experience of 493 months/patient. The program included 2 dialyses per week, 25 exchanges of 2 l per session and 30 min of dwell time. Arterial pressure contro l has been satisfactory. Diabetic patients had lower levels of serum c alcium, alkaline phosphatases and m-PTH. The incidence of peritonitis has been 1 episode/14 months/patient and the causative agent has been Staphylococcus aureus in 47% of episodes...Mean catheter duration has been 15 months and 1 episode/34 months/patient of exit site infection has been recorded and Staphylococcus aureus has been the causative age nt in 83% of episodes. The risk of acquiring the first peritonitis was 12% at 3 months, 23% at 6 months and higher for non diabetic patients . Actuarial survival of treated patients at 12 and 24 months was 89 an d 67% respectively. No differences in survival were recorded between d iabetic and non diabetic patients. Fifty two percent of patients that dropped out continued on hemodialysis, 23% died, 11% abandoned treatme nt, 8% continued on chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and 6% rece ived a kidney allograft. We conclude that intermittent peritoneal dial ysis is a good alternative treatment of chronic renal failure, even in diabetic patients.