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ORIGINAL ARTICLES |
1 Transplantation Immunology and Nephrology, 2 Basel Institute for Clinical Epidemiology, 3 and Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Correspondence to: M. Mayr, Transplantation Immunology and Nephrology,
University Hospital, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel,
Switzerland.
mmayr{at}uhbs.ch
Background: The technique failure rate on peritoneal
dialysis (PD) remains high despite technical progress. There are no data
concerning the contribution of early failure to outcome on PD.
Aim: To analyze the importance of early treatment
failure in PD and to compare early with late failures with respect to reasons
and predictors of risk for failure.
Methods: We performed a retrospective study of all
patients admitted for PD from October 1983 to June 2005. The end point was PD
failure-free survival. Differences between reasons for failure with respect to
early (within 6 months) and late failure were analyzed. Multivariate
associations of baseline covariates with early and late failure were
investigated.
Results: We included 279 patients. 153 (55%) patients
experienced PD failure: 97 (63%) of them had technique failure; 56 (37%)
patients died due to non-PD-related causes. 29% (n = 44) of all PD
failures and 40% (n = 39) of all technique failures occurred within 6
months. Catheter and psychosocial problems contributed more often to early
than to late failure, whereas infections, leakages, and hernias contributed
equally to early and late failure. Death was the predominant reason for late
failure. Female sex was a risk factor for early failure and older age a risk
factor for late failure. Higher cholesterol levels were associated with a
decreased risk for both early and late failure.
Conclusion: The contribution of early failure to
outcome on PD is important, as one third of all PD failures and 40% of all
technique failures may occur within the first 6 months, as shown in our study.
Due to the retrospective nature and the single-center character, the results
cannot be generalized. However, it is important to enhance recognition of
patients at high risk for early PD failure prior to initiation of PD, in order
to avoid unnecessary surgical interventions and medical complications, and for
rational resource allocation.
KEY WORDS: Outcome; reasons for failure; risk factors; survival.
Received 30 May 2007; accepted 31 October 2007.
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