CAPD in patients above 70 years of age

This report shows our experience with 13 patients aged 70-83 years who started CAPD treatment 1981-1989. There were 7 females and 6 males. The total treatment time was 298 months (range 4-104). Nine of the patients were able to perform all CAPD procedures while 4 patients needed some help. The patients who were able to take care of all procedures had the lowest period of terminal care, i.e. the period preceding death when the patients had to be taken care of by the hospital staff. The terminal care period was 5.1% of the total treatment period. In the patients who needed help from the beginning of the treatment, the terminal care was 17.2% of the total treatment period. The frequency of peritonitis was 1 per 10.2 treatment month. The main cause for hospitalization was peritonitis and terminal care at the end of the lives of the patients. No patients died due to peritonitis. However, two patients were transferred to hemodialysis due to recurrent peritonitis and ultrafiltration loss, one was transplanted and one was transferred to IPD due to weakness. The causes of death were myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke and cardiac insufficiency. No deaths were due to peritonitis. CAPD in patients above 70 years of age is acceptable both on the basis of the somatic situation and of quality of life.