Risk factors in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. A seven year follow up

The purpose of the present study is to assess the mortality rate and the magnitude of technical problems forcing a patient off CAPD and to clarify the effect to which age, sex, diabetes, or cardiac disease influence mortality rate and technique survival. For this purpose, we used estimated survival probabilities by Kaplan-Meier methods. The study of all patients in our department dialysed on CAPD until July 1986 revealed a two-year survival of 63% for 121 patients. Mortality was significantly higher in patients with diabetes or prior cardiac disease. Non-diabetic patients over 60 had the same mortality rate as younger non-diabetic patients. The overall rate of transfer to other forms of dialysis was 35% after two years with little variation between subgroups, suggesting that parameters such as age, sex, diabetes and cardiac disease need not influence the choice of CAPD if based on technical considerations.