TURKIYE KLINIKLERI TIP BILIMLERI DERGISI, vol.31, no.4, pp.805-808, 2011 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective: Peritoneal dialysis is one of the renal replacement therapy modalities in patients with end-stage renal disease. Treatment should be discontinued due to various reasons. To elucidate these reasons and prevent them is very important in maintaining peritoneal dialysis. In the present study, reasons those lead to discontinuation of treatment were evaluated in patients who underwent peritoneal dialysis and have been followed in our Nephrology Department. Material and Methods: Data from 313 patients (194 male and 119 female) who underwent peritoneal dialysis in the last 12 years (1997-2009) were reviewed retrospectively. Among these, patients who discontinued peritoneal dialysis were assessed. Data analyzed by using descriptive statistic tests. Results: The mean age for dialysis onset was 51.9 +/- 17.6 years and the mean dialysis duration was 27.5 +/- 27.1 months (median 20 months; range: 3-166 months). During follow-up period, 212 patients (67.7%) ceased peritoneal dialysis. Reasons of discontinuation were as follows: death in 58 patients (27.4%), peritonitis in 36 patients (17.0%), transfer to another facility (8.0%), inadequate dialysis in 16 patients (7.5%), improvement in renal failure in 16 patients (7.5%), transplantation in 14 patients (6.6%), patient incompliance in 12 patients (5.7%), unwillingness of the patient for peritoneal dialysis in 8 patients (3.8%), hypervolemia in 5 patients (2.4%), leakage in 9 patients (4.2%), hernia in 4 patients (1.9%) and other technical factors in 17 patients (8.0%). There were not any relationship between the reasons of discontinuation and causes of end-stage renal disease, prior renal replacement history, comorbid disease, hemoglobin level, white blood cell count, and levels of serum albumin, calcium, phosphorus, parathormone, total cholesterol and triglyceride (p> 0.05). Conclusion: Our results indicated that peritonitis was the most important reason for being unable to maintain long term peritoneal dialysis and discontinuation of this treatment modality. Consequently, decreasing the incidence of peritonitis should be considered as an important factor in maintaining treatment.