Clinical outcome of 50 patients started on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in a Swedish centre

Intraperitoneal Administration of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin

Objective

To determine the efficacy and safety of intraperitoneal administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients compared to subcutaneous rHuEPO.

Design

Prospective analysis of an open, nonrandomized investigation.

Setting

Outpatient CAPD clinics in two university hospitals.

Patients

Nine adult CAPD patients receiving rHuEPO intraperitoneally and 8 patients receiving rHuEPO sub-cutaneously.

Intervention

One hundred units of rHuEPO per kilogram of body weight were administered three times a week for 8 weeks or until the target hematocrit of 35% was reached. Thereafter, dosages of rHuEPO were adjusted for response. Intraperitoneal rHuEPO was administered in 1 L of dialysis solution during the night.

Measurements

Efficacy was assessed by measuring the increase in hemoglobin. Tolerance was assessed by monitoring side effects.

Results

In the first 8 weeks of treatment hemoglobin concentration increased from 64.5±12.9 glL to 98.3±16.1 g/L (p<0.0005) in the intra peritoneally treated group. In the subcutaneously treated group hemoglobin increased significantlyfaster (p<0.05) from 72.5±4.8 g/L to 119.2±11.3 g/L (p<0.0005) in the same period. Antihypertensive medication had to be increased or instituted in most of the patients in both groups. The incidence of peritonitis in the intraperitoneally treated group was not increased when compared to the pretreatment incidence.

Conclusions

Subcutaneously administered rHuEPO is superior to intraperitoneally administered rHuEPO with regard to the required dosages. However, the results of this study show that intraperitoneal administration of rHuEPO might be a convenient and safe alternative when subcutaneous administration is undesirable.

Abdominal Hernias in Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: A Review

Of 1365 patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) identified by a literature review, 174 (12.7%) developed one or more abdominal hernias. Twenty-three per cent of these hernias were inguinal, 19.1% developed at the site of catheter insertion, 18.6% were umbilical, 8.3% were ventral, 9.8% were at other incisional sites, 7.4% were at other sites, and 13.7% were unclassified. Twenty-seven (13.2%) of the hernias were strangulated or incarcerated. The incidence of abdominal hernias in 827 CAPD patients was one per 104.2 cathetermonths, with a range among dialysis centers of one hernia per 47.4 to 779.0 catheter-months. Among 436 patients on intermittent peritoneal dialysis, 12 (2.8%) developed an abdominal hernia, four times less frequently than in CAPD patients (P < 0.001).

Simultaneous catheter replacement and removal in refractory peritoneal dialysis infections

The present report describes more than nine years of experience with simultaneous removal and replacement of the chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter in treating refractory mechanical and infectious complications. Simultaneous catheter replacement and removal not only succeeded in 22 of 23 cases with non-infectious mechanical complications, allowing uninterrupted PD in all but three, but also succeeded in 30 (83%) of 36 additional cases with persisting or recurring infection. Simultaneous procedures failed in six (17%) of 36 infectious cases, due to persistent infection in two cases and to procedure complications in four cases. The clinical characteristics of the 30 successful infectious cases were compared to the characteristics of both the six failures, as well as 29 additional infectious cases in which the peritoneal catheter was removed but was not replaced because of a variety of serious complications (such as pancreatitis, abscess, sepsis, or fluid overload). At the time of simultaneous catheter replacement in successful cases, temporary control of active peritoneal inflammation was achieved more frequently (80% vs. 31%, P less than 0.001) with a shorter interval of antibiotic coverage (6.4 +/- 0.9 vs. 14.7 +/- 1.3 days, P less than 0.001). In addition, the successful cases were characterized by significantly more Staphylococcal infections (70% vs. 26%, P less than 0.001) and significantly fewer Pseudomonal or fungal infections (6% vs. 59%, P less than 0.001), although successful cases included some non-Pseudomonal, non-enteric gram negative infections (23%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Catheter-related complications during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD): a retrospective study on sixty-two double-cuff Tenckhoff catheters

From May 1980 to April 1985, a total of 62 double-cuff Tenckhoff catheters were surgically implanted in 54 patients through a low medial laparotomy. The follow-up on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis accounted for 1,029 patient-monthly. The patients who used a detachable double-bag system developed a total of four exit-site infections, one tunnel infection, three outer cuff erosions, four catheter dislocations, and two dialysate leaks. In five patients, the catheter had to be removed (one exit-site infection, two catheter breaks, and two catheter dislocations). Cumulative catheter survival using the method of life-time analysis was 81% and 70% after 1 and 2 years, respectively, considering all catheters implanted, and 92% and 92%, respectively, when peritonitis-related removal was excluded.

CAPD fluid: a common cause of photon deficient lesions on 99mTc-D.T.P.A. scans in renal transplant patients

Single or multiple transient photon deficient areas on 99mTc-DTPA scintigrams were found in 40% of a series of 34 patients who had undergone renal transplantion directly from CAPD maintenance. Ultrasound showed only loculated intraperitoneal CAPD fluid adjacent to the transplant with no evidence of local complications. We conclude that such collections are a common cause of photon deficient areas on 99mTc-DTPA transplantscintigrams and in the absence of ultrasound, these appearances should be interpreted with caution.

Decreasing insulin requirements in CAPD patients given intraperitoneal insulin

In a retrospective study, insulin requirements were examined in two groups of dialyzed diabetic patients: one treated with subcutaneous insulin and the other with intraperitoneal insulin. In the first group, insulin requirements did not change with time on dialysis irrespective of whether the patients were treated with hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD); however, in CAPD patients using the intraperitoneal route of administration, a significant decrease in insulin requirements occurred simultaneously with improved metabolic control. This observation may indicate that intraperitoneal administration of insulin is advantageous as compared to the subcutaneous route.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism in diabetic and nondiabetic patients on long-term continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)

Serum values of calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatases and parathyroid hormone (PTH) are reported for 24 diabetic and 26 nondiabetic patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) for a total of 779 months, without the use of vitamin D or calcium supplements. Radiographic data are reported for 25 patients followed on CAPD for at least 12 months. Serum calcium was well maintained and control of hyperphosphataemia acceptable, but phosphate-binding therapy had to be continued in the majority of patients. Diabetic patients had lower serum phosphate levels and higher serum calcium than nondiabetic patients during the first year of CAPD. In nondiabetic patients the institution of CAPD was followed by a fall in PTH, possibly largely reflecting transperitoneal PTH elimination. No patient achieved normalization of serum PTH on CAPD. Although no symptomatic bone disease was observed, radiographic evidence of progressive hyperparathyroid bone disease developed in 3 of the 25 examined patients, all nondiabetic. In summary, long-term CAPD with a dialysate calcium concentration of 1.75 mmol/l seems to be compatible with normocalcaemia and a steady-state situation with regard to secondary hyperparathyroidism in the majority of patients. Despite transperitoneal elimination, serum PTH remains elevated, and definite progression of hyperparathyroidism is observed in some patients, however, probably making a case for vitamin D therapy and/or intraperitoneal or peroral calcium supplementation in these patients.