Peritoneal dialysis catheter in renal failure - a retrospective study

Peritoneal dialysis is a treatment option for patients with dialysis-dependent renal failure. The procedure requires insertion of a peritoneal dialysis catheter. The aim of the study was to review the use of this method at Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, and to evaluate the quality of treatment.

The study population consisted of patients who had a peritoneal dialysis catheter inserted for the first time at the hospital in the period 1 January 2017-31 December 2022 and were included in the Norwegian Renal Registry. Perioperative data and information on catheter viability were obtained from medical records and compared with international quality indicators.

A total of 172 patients had a peritoneal dialysis catheter inserted during the study period. The median age at the time of surgery was 65 years (interquartile range 48-74), and 110 (64 %) were men. Hypertension and diabetes were the main causes of renal failure in 96 patients (56 %). A total of 167 catheter placements (97 %) were performed electively. The median postoperative hospital stay was 1 day (range 1-5 days). Within 30 days, exit-site infection was recorded in 18 patients (11 %) and peritonitis in six patients (4 %). Four patients (2 %) required reoperation within 30 days due to infection or bleeding. The cumulative proportion of viable catheters at 12 months was 81 %.

The incidence of complications following peritoneal dialysis catheter placement at Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål during the study period was largely comparable to international quality indicators, with the exception of a higher rate of exit-site infections.