A Study on Early Onset Peritonitis in CAPD Patients

HC Gan, EJC Lee, MM Tay, Norashidah Yusuf
Correspondence: Dr Gan Hwa Chau, ganhwachau@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
Objective To study the incidence of peritonitis in CAPD patients in their first six months on CAPD.
Patients and Methods All patients who started on CAPD between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 1999 were included in the study. All of them were followed for six months for development of peritonitis.
Results Four episodes of CAPD related peritonitis occurred in four different patients during this period. Patient One was an elderly man with diabetes mellitus who had Streptococcal peritonitis two months after he started on CAPD. Patient Two was an elderly woman with diabetes who developed Streptococcal peritonitis four months after she was on CAPD. Patient Three was a 51-year-old lady with diabetes who suffered Pseudomonas peritonitis at four months on CAPD. Patient Four was a young man without diabetes. He had peritonitis after he was on CAPD for four months. The culture showed no bacteria growth. For the first six months of CAPD the peritonitis rate was calculated as one episode for every 51 patient months. The average peritonitis rate of all patients on CAPD at the National University Hospital in 1999 was calculated as one episode for every 27 patient months. The CAPD related peritonitis involving new CAPD patients was lower.

Keywords: early onset, peritonitis, CAPD
Singapore Med J 2003; 44(3): 138-140