The Peritoneal Dialysis Transfer Set Replacement Procedure

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Dialysis Technology
• Patient Care Management

Background:

• Peritoneal dialysis (PD) transfer sets require regular replacement (6-9 months) to prevent catheter complications.
• Standard transfer set exchange procedures are time-consuming and costly for healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare a revised non-bag transfer set exchange procedure with the standard bag exchange procedure.
• To evaluate differences in nursing time, procedural costs, and safety outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 33 participants undergoing peritoneal dialysis.
• Participants were assigned to either a standard bag exchange procedure (n=16) or a revised non-bag exchange procedure (n=17).
• Outcomes measured included procedure duration, cost, and incidence of peritonitis within 72 hours post-exchange.

Main Results:

• The non-bag procedure took significantly less time (median 6 minutes) compared to the standard procedure (median 32 minutes) (p < 0.0001).
• The non-bag procedure resulted in an average cost saving of $24.54 per exchange (37% reduction).
• One episode of peritonitis occurred in each group within the follow-up period, indicating comparable safety.

Conclusions:

• The revised non-bag transfer set replacement procedure is a safe alternative to the standard bag method.
• This new procedure substantially reduces nursing time and associated healthcare costs.
• Implementation of the non-bag procedure offers significant efficiency gains in peritoneal dialysis care.