Relationship between peritonitis and exit site infections in CAPD

This study was designed to retrospectively review the experience in this center with oral ciprofloxacin 500 mg bid and ip vancomycin 25 mg/L in the treatment of CAPD-related exit site infections and to determine the relationship between exit site infections and peritonitis. There were 48 patients with 172 episodes of infection (23 had both infections, 22 had peritonitis only, 3 had exit site infections only). Thus, exit site infections occur infrequently in the absence of peritonitis (23% of occasions). Of the 35 patients who had peritonitis as the first infection, 13 (37%) subsequently developed an exit site infection. The mean +/- SD period from an initial peritonitis to a subsequent exit site infection in these patients was 8.2 +/- 8.0 (range 1-28) months. Of the 22 patients with 34 exit site infections, there were 15 (44%) treatment failures, of which 10 (67%) were relapses or possible relapses. S. aureus was the most common isolate. 5% of exit site infections were culture negative. Follow-up was incomplete for many patients resulting in many instances of no further cultures, and compliance could not be assured. This combination was associated with a high incidence of treatment failures in this setting.