[Treatment of uremic patients by automated peritoneal dialysis: study of 78 cases]

Automated peritoneal dialysis has been increasingly used in recent years. The quality of life is improved in patients on automated peritoneal dialysis with more time for work, family and social activities compared to patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

We report our experience concerning patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

From July 1997 to June 2003, we review retrospectively 78 patients with chronic renal failure treated by automated peritoneal dialysis. Tenckhoff catheter was used for all patients with 1 cuff in 39 cases (35.5%) and 2 cuffs in 71 cases (64.5%).

There were 46 males and 32 females. Their mean age was 38.6 +/- 14.5 years. Their main nephropathies were glomerular in 23 patients (29.%), diabetic in 20 patients (25.6%) and vascular in 19 patients (24.4%). Among the 78 patients, 61 (78.2%) were autonomous while 17 (21.8%) were assisted by a member of their family. The mean period of therapy was 25.5 months (3 to 61 months). Peritonitis was the main complication, it was observed in 45 cases after a mean delay of 17 months (1 to 38 months). The mean rate of peritonitis was 36.5 months/patient. Their etiology was identified in 21 (46.7%) cases (8 septic manipulations of catheter and 13 tunnel infections). The principal organism isolated in peritoneal fluid were 18 gram-positive cocci (13 staphylococcus aureus, 4 coagulase-negative staphylococci, 1 streptococcus) and 10 gram-negative bacilli. The outcome of peritonitis was favourable in 39 cases (86.7%). The actuarial technique survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was respectively 94.6%, 80.1% et 49.3%. The actuarial patient survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was respectively 93.3%, 76.8% et 52.2%. At the end of the study, 43 patients (56.4%) left the automated peritoneal dialysis program: 22 (28.2%) were shifted to hemodialysis, 15 (19.3%) died, 6 (7.7%) were transplanted and 1 patient (1.3%) was shifted to continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Our experience concerning automated peritoneal dialysis is recent with a small number of patients. Our results were acceptable and we have to encourage and extend automated peritoneal dialysis to the most new patients with end-stage renal failure.