Current status of pediatric home peritoneal dialysis training in the United States

There are little aggregate data that examine attributes of peritoneal dialysis (PD) training programs for children. We determined characteristics of pediatric home PD training programs in a sample of 54 centers in the NAPRTCS PD registry by telephone interview. Sixty-seven percent of the programs trained pediatric patients only (P-only); 33% were combined pediatric/adult (P/A) programs; 33 programs had dedicated training rooms. Most programs trained 5 to 8 patients/year; only 2 trained more than 12 patients/year. Forty-eight of 54 programs (89%) taught both automated and manual PD techniques; the preferred type of PD varied. All units preferred to train 2 people. The patient was often one of the trainees, but the minimal eligible age varied greatly. The patients were trained as inpatients (IP) in 38 units (70%) and as outpatients (OP) in 16 units (30%). P-only programs were less likely to train as OP (20%) than P/A programs (50%) (p < 0.01). There was no difference in the mean training time for P-only versus P/A programs. However, training that took more than 6 days occurred more often when done as an IP (79%) than as an OP (56%) (p = 0.057). Furthermore, only 25% of IP units that took more than 6 days to train offered training on the weekend; none of the IP units that took more than 10 days offered weekend training. In conclusion, the structure of PD training programs for children in the United States varies tremendously. OP training is usually shorter in duration and potentially more cost-effective.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)