CHARACTERISTICS OF LONG-TERM PERITONEAL-DIALYSIS SURVIVORS - 18 YEARSEXPERIENCE IN ONE-CENTER

Objectives: Long-term experience of patients on peritoneal dialysis (P D) in general, and in diabetic patients specifically, is limited. Few patients have been followed on PD for over 8 years. Our aim was to eva luate and characterize long-term survivors (LTS) on PD for more than 1 00 months. A retrospective analysis of 20 patients who survived on PD for more than 100 months was performed. Data on long-term survivors wa s compared to data of 103 patients who died or switched to hemodialysi s (HD) in less than 100 months. Design: The study included all patient s starting PD prior to 1 January 1986. Demographic, biochemical, dialy sis prescription, and morbidity data were obtained on these patients. Characteristics of long-term survivors on PD (more than 100 months), w as compared with those who died or switched to HD in less than 100 mon ths, using Student t-test. Setting: An experienced single center, univ ersity-based dialysis program. Patients: 165 patients started PD at th e University of Wisconsin prior to 1 January 1986. Forty three had typ e I diabetes mellitus and 24 had type II diabetes mellitus as the caus e of their renal failure. Results: Twenty patients survived on PD more than 100 months (LTS). Long-term survival of type I diabetic patients was seen in 7 of 43 patients at risk. Seventeen type I diabetics rece ived renal transplants and ten died. 103 patients either died or switc hed to HD in less than 100 months. Long-term survivors were significan tly younger, weighed less, had fewer episodes of peritonitis, fewer ho spital days, and were prescribed more dialysis per kg body weight, tha n those who died or switched to HD prior to 100 months. Conclusions: L ong-term survival on CAPD for longer than 100 months is possible with survival periods up to 18 years in both males and females and in nondi abetics as well as patients with type I diabetes mellitus. No patient with type II diabetes mellitus survived longer than 100 months on CAPD . In comparison to short-term survivors, long-term survivors were char acterized by being younger, weighing less, having fewer episodes of pe ritonitis, fewer hospital days, and were prescribed more dialysis/kg b ody weight.