Factors related to patient selection and initiation of peritoneal dialysis.

The majority of dialysis patients initiate dialysis using hemodialysis, rather than peritoneal dialysis (PD), although they may be candidates for either modality.Multiple factors account for this selection, including pre-dialysis education, physician familiarity with hemodialysis versus PD, and patient-related factors. This paper will discuss the various considerations by both providers and patients in the selection of PD as a modality.