BACTEREMIA COMPLICATING PERITONITIS IN PERITONEAL-DIALYSIS PATIENTS

Bacteremia is a rare complication of peritonitis in end-stage renal fa ilure (ESRF) patients treated by peritoneal dialysis. Three of our ESR F patients on peritoneal dialysis developed bacteremia during a perito nitis episode (1/19 peritonitis episodes). In 2 cases, the responsible organism was Escherichia coli and peritonitis was most likely associa ted with infection of the biliary tract. The 3rd patient had a perfora tion of the colon and Klebsiella spp. was the infective organism. Only the last patient survived but had to be transferred to hemodialysis. Bacteremia during peritonitis is infrequent in peritoneal dialysis pat ients and it appears to be related to other intra-abdominal events.