Evaluation of an outpatient culture device in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

From August 1983 through August 1986, we used a dipstick culture device for outpatient dialysate cultures among patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. The device was used in 42% of 531 peritonitis episodes. In 21% of the peritonitis episodes, patients elected to be hospitalized for treatment and, therefore, did not obtain a dialysate culture. The frequency of noncompliance was 18%. All samples were received within four days of mailing. Forty percent of isolates were gram-positive organisms, 30% were gram-negative, 3% were fungal organisms, and 27% of the cultures failed to yield a growth. Aside from a greater incidence of failure to define a bacterial growth responsible for peritonitis, the spectrum of organisms was similar to culture results obtained from the patients who elected, during this same period, to be hospitalized. We believe the dipstick device may be used effectively for outpatient dialysate cultures.