CAPD peritonitis. Incidence, pathogens, diagnosis, and management.

Peritonitis is a frequent complication of CAPD. Sixty percent of all patients on CAPD will have at least one episode of peritonitis during the first year of this mode of dialysis. Most of the episodes of peritonitis are caused by touch contamination of the dialysis tubing or by extension of the catheter exit site or tunnel infection. Coagulase-negative and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus are the two most common organisms, accounting for 50% or more of all CAPD peritonitis. Other gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi account for the rest. Intraperitoneal antibiotic treatments are usually effective in eradicating the infection. The choice of antibiotics depends on organisms isolated from cultured dialysate. Fungal peritonitis and, occasionally, Pseudomonas peritonitis require removal of the catheter to eradicate the infection. Prompt identification and treatment of peritonitis are essential to ensure success of a CAPD program. Although with newer techniques, like Y-connector or ultraviolet light system, the rate of peritonitis has declined; however, it has still remained the major complication of the CAPD program.