Laparoscopic peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion with omentopexy-sparing the omentum in children.

INTRODUCTION: Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis is an important modality of renal replacement therapy in children. Catheter dysfunction (commonly obstruction) is a major cause of morbidity and is a significant concern that hampers renal replacement therapy. As omentum is a significant cause of obstruction, some recommend routine omentectomy during insertion of the peritoneal dialysis catheter. Omentopexy rather than omentectomy has been described in adults to spare the omentum as it may be needed as a spare part in many conditions. Laparoscopic approach is commonly preferred as it provides global evaluation of the peritoneal space, proper location of the catheteral end in the pelvis and lesser morbidity due to inherent minimally invasive nature. AIM: The aim of this study is to present the technique of laparoscopic peritoneal dialysis catheter placement in children with concurrent omentopexy. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated our patients who underwent laparoscopic placement of peritoneal dialysis catheter with concomitant omentopexy or omentectomy. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were enrolled who received either omentectomy (n = 18) or omentopexy (n = 12). Four catheters were lost in the omentopexy group (33%) and 3 in the omentectomy group (17%), but none were related to omental obstruction. Three out of 4 patients in the omentopexy group and 2 out of 3 patients in the omentectomy group had a previous abdominal operation as a potential cause of catheter loss. Previous history of abdominal surgery was present in 6 patients (50%) in the omentopexy group and 3 patients (17%) in the omentectomy group. CONCLUSIONS: As omentum was associated with catheter failure, omentectomy is commonly recommended. Alternatively, omentopexy can be preferred in children to spare an organ that may potentially be necessary for many surgical reconstructive procedures in the future. Laparoscopic peritoneal dialysis catheter placement with concomitant omentopexy appears as a feasable and reproducible technique. Although the catheter loss seems to be higher in the omentopexy group, none was related with the omentopexy procedure and may be related to the higher rate of history of previous abdominal operations in this group.

Peritoneal dialysis in an end-stage renal disease patient with massive ascites and primary liver cancer.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) coexisted with cirrhosis, ascites, and primary liver cancer represents an extraordinarily rare clinical condition that typically occurs in very late-stage decompensated cirrhosis and is associated with an extremely poor prognosis. We present a case of a 68-year-old male patient with ESRD who experienced various decompensated complications of liver cirrhosis, particularly massive ascites and hepatic space-occupying lesions. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter insertion and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) treatment were successfully performed. During meticulous follow-up, the patient survived for one year but ultimately succumbed to complications related to liver cancer. PD can serve as an efficacious therapeutic approach for such late-stage patients afflicted together with severe cirrhosis, massive ascites and primary liver cancer.

Peritoneal Phosphate Clearance: Determinants and Association With Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Dialytic phosphate removal is a cornerstone of the management of hyperphosphatemia in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, but the influencing factors on peritoneal phosphate clearance (PPC) are incompletely understood. Our objective was to explore clinically relevant factors associated with PPC in patients with different PD modality and peritoneal transport status and the association of PPC with mortality. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional and prospective observational study. Four hundred eighty-five PD patients were enrolled and divided into 2 groups according to PPC. All-cause mortality was evaluated after followed-up for at least 3 months. RESULTS: High PPC group showed lower mortality compared with Low PPC group by Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test. Both multivariate linear regression and multivariate logistic regression revealed that high transport status, total effluent dialysate volume per day, continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD), and protein in total effluent dialysate volume appeared to be positively correlated with PPC; body mass index (BMI) and the normalized protein equivalent of total nitrogen appearance (nPNA) were negatively correlated with PPC. Besides PD modality and membrane transport status, total effluent dialysate volume showed a strong relationship with PPC, but the correlation differed among PD modalities. CONCLUSIONS: Higher PPC was associated with lower all-cause mortality risk in PD patients. Higher PPC correlated with CAPD modality, fast transport status, higher effluent dialysate volume and protein content, and with lower BMI and nPNA.

Prognostic value of transthoracic echocardiography score for the prognosis of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: We devoted ourselves to proving that the initial transthoracic echocardiography score (TTES) had predictive significance for patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, 274 CAPD patients who had PD therapy were recruited sequentially. TTE exams were performed three months following the start of PD therapy. All patients were divided into two groups based on the strength of their TTES levels. TTES's predictive value for CAPD patients was then determined using LASSO regression and Cox regression. RESULTS: During a median of 52 months, 46 patients (16.8%) died from all causes, and 32 patients (11.7%) died from cardiovascular disease (CV). The TTES was computed as follows: 0.109 × aortic root diameter (ARD, mm) - 0.976 × LVEF (> 55%, yes or no) + 0.010 × left ventricular max index, (LVMI, g/m2) + 0.035 × E/e' ratio. The higher TTES value (≥ 3.7) had a higher risk of all-cause death (hazard ratio, HR, 3.70, 95% confidence index, 95%CI, 1.45-9.46, P = 0.006) as well as CV mortality (HR, 2.74, 95%CI 1.15-19.17, P = 0.042). Moreover, the TTES had an attractive predictive efficiency for all-cause mortality (AUC = 0.762, 95%CI 0.645-0.849) and CV mortality (AUC = 0.746, 95%CI 0.640-0.852). The introduced nomogram, which was based on TTES and clinical variables, exhibited a high predictive value for all-cause and CV mortality in CAPD patients. CONCLUSION: TTES is a pretty good predictor of clinical outcomes, and the introduced TTES-based nomogram yields an accurate prediction value for CAPD patients.

Intraperitoneal vancomycin plus levofloxacin for the treatment of peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis in patients with no response to cefazolin plus ceftazidime.

INTRODUCTION: Peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis (PDRP) should be treated as soon as possible by an empirical regimen without waiting for effluent bacterial culture results. We retrospectively investigated patients treated with vancomycin plus levofloxacin as a treatment regimen if there was no response to cefazolin plus ceftazidime. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected records of adult patients with PDRP from January 1, 2013, to November 30, 2020. The characteristics of episodes of PDRP with no response to cefazolin plus ceftazidime treated by intraperitoneal (IP) injection of vancomycin plus levofloxacin were analyzed. RESULTS: 118 episodes of PDRP were recorded, among which 115 episodes were treated with IP antibiotics. 93 episodes were treated with cefazolin plus ceftazidime. In 38 episodes, treatment was switched to IP injection of vancomycin plus levofloxacin if there was no response to cefazolin plus ceftazidime. 26/38 (68.4%) episodes were cured by vancomycin plus levofloxacin. Fever, diabetes, fasting glucose, a decrease in effluent leukocytes on day 3 and day 5, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores were significantly different between uncured and cured episodes. No variable was associated with treatment failure after multiple logistic regression. Fever, diabetes, a decrease in effluent leukocytes on day 3, and CCI score were associated with treatment failure after univariable logistic regression. CONCLUSION: Vancomycin plus levofloxacin may be effective if patients are not responsive to cefazolin plus ceftazidime.

Non-mesh inguinal hernia repair with early resumption of peritoneal dialysis in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

PURPOSE: Inguinal hernia is a common complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Although tension-free mesh repair is a leading option for inguinal hernia repair, concerns over serious mesh-related complications may indicate a role for non-mesh inguinal hernia repair. In addition, there is no consensus on the perioperative dialysis regimen. Early resumption of PD may avoid the additional risks associated with hemodialysis. We report on the outcomes of non-mesh inguinal hernia repair in patients on continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD) and provide a perioperative dialysis protocol that aims to guide early resumption of PD. METHODS: Between May 2019 and September 2023, thirty CAPD patients with 43 inguinal hernias who underwent non-mesh inguinal hernia repair were retrospectively analyzed. Data on the patient characteristics, perioperative dialysis regimen, perioperative features, complications, and hernia recurrence were collected and assessed. RESULTS: Thirty patients with a total of 43 inguinal hernia repairs were included in this study. The median age was 53 years. 23 patients were male and 7 were female. Non-mesh inguinal repair was performed for all patients. PD was resumed at a median of 2 days after the surgery. Five patients received interim hemodialysis. There were no postoperative surgical or uremic complications and no recurrence after a median follow-up of 31.5 months. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates the effectiveness and safety of non-mesh repair with early resumption of PD in patients on CAPD. Interim HD is unnecessary in selected patients. Choosing the optimal perioperative dialysis regimen is essential to managing inguinal hernias in CAPD patients.

Prognosis of Peritoneal Dialysis Patients with Different Peritoneal Transport Characteristics: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to examine the clinical characteristics of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients with different baseline peritoneal transport characteristics and the effect of peritoneal transport characteristics on the prognosis of PD patients. METHODS: Patients who received PD for more than 3 months were included. Clinical characteristics, risk factors for high peritoneal transport, and risk factors for death and technique failure were examined. All patients were treated with glucose-containing peritoneal dialysis solution, and the peritoneal dialysis protocol was either day ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (DAPD) or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). RESULTS: A total of 351 patients were enrolled, comprising 70 in the low transport group, 149 in the low average transport group, 88 in the high average transport group, and 44 in the high transport group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a high Charlson's comorbidity index (CCI) and low albumin were risk factors for a high baseline transport status. In the nonhigh transport group, the proportion of patients with albumin less than 30 g/L, who developed high transport status, was higher than those with albumin more than 30 g/L (P = .029). The survival rate in the high transport group was significantly lower than that in the other three groups (P < .001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age, systolic blood pressure, CCI, C-reactive protein (CRP) and high transport were independent risk factors for all-cause mortality. Male sex, triglycerides and CRP were independent risk factors for technique failure. CONCLUSION: High peritoneal transport status is an independent risk factor for death. High CCI and low albumin are determinants of baseline high peritoneal transport. To avoid development of a high transport state, serum albumin should be increased to more than 30 g/L.  DOI: 10.52547/ijkd.7617.

Pleural effusion portends a poor prognosis in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

AIMS: Pleural effusion is not an infrequent complication in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. However, there is not adequate data to evaluate pleural effusion and prognosis in clinical practice. In this study, we validated this potential association by a multicenter cohort. METHODS: We screened 1,162 patients who met the inclusion criteria with PD. According to the existence of pleural effusion on stable dialysis (4-8 weeks after dialysis initiation), the participants were divided into pleural effusion and non-pleural effusion groups. The hazard ratios (HRs) of all-cause and cause-specific death were estimated with adjustment for demographic characteristics and multiple potential clinical confounders. Subgroup analysis and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to further verify the robustness of the correlation between hydrothorax and prognosis. RESULTS: Pleural effusion was found in 8.9% (104/1162) of PD individuals. After adjusting for the confounding factors, patients with pleural effusion had significantly increased HRs for all-cause death was 3.06 (2.36-3.96) and cardiovascular death was 3.78 (2.67-5.35) compared to those without pleural effusion. However, it was not associated with infectious and other causes of death. After PSM, the HR of all-cause mortality was 3.56 (2.28-5.56). The association trends were consistent in the subgroup sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: Pleural effusion is not rare in PD, and is significantly associated with overall and cardiovascular mortality, which is independent of underlying diseases and clinically relevant indicators.

The superiority of bioimpedance vs. echocardiography and pitting edema in predicting automated office blood pressure in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION: To achieve optimal blood pressure control in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients, identifying methods of volume assessment with the strongest correlation with blood pressure is essential. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 52 CAPD patients were assigned to automated office blood pressure (AOBP) measurement, assessment of pedal pitting edema, bioimpedance analysis (BIA), and inferior vena cava collapsibility index (IVCCI%) measurement. Data were analyzed using STATA ver.17, and the significance level was p < 0.05. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients were divided based on their AOBP readings. 29 (55.8%) of patients had uncontrolled AOBP. Overhydration (OH) and the grade of pitting edema were significantly higher in the uncontrolled AOBP group. OH was identified as the best variable for predicting blood pressure (p ≤ 0.001) and detecting uncontrolled blood pressure (AUC = 0.832) using multivariate linear regression and ROC analysis, respectively. CONCLUSION: BIA-derived OH was the best variable for predicting systolic and diastolic AOBP, outperforming IVCCI% and pitting edema.

Impact of Body Composition and Anemia on Accuracy of a Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitor in Diabetes Patients on Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is proposed as an alternative for glycemic assessment in peritoneal dialysis, but volume overload and anemia may affect sensor accuracy. This is an exploratory analysis of a study of Guardian Connect™ with Guardian Sensor™ 3 in 30 participants with diabetes on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) (age [mean ± standard deviation] 64.7 ± 5.6 years, 23 men, body mass index [BMI] 25.4 ± 3.9 kg/m2, blood hemoglobin [Hb] 10.7 ± 1.3 g/dL). The mean absolute relative difference (MARD) was calculated between paired sensor and YSI 2300 STAT venous glucose readings (n = 941) during an 8-h in-clinic session with glucose challenge. Body composition was evaluated using bioimpedance. The overall MARD was 10.4% (95% confidence interval 9.6-11.7). There were no correlations between BMI, extracellular water, relative hydration index, and lean or fat mass with MARD. No correlations were observed between MARD and Hb (r = 0.016, P > 0.05). In summary, this real-time CGM demonstrated good accuracy in CAPD with minimal influence from body composition and anemia.

Peritoneal dialysis in Herzegovina, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: 18 years of experience from our center.

INTRODUCTION: Due to treatment of end-stage-renal-disease (ESRD), continuous peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is used in 11% of cases and is associated with several PD-associated infections. METHODS: Clinical data on 71 patients with CAPD were evaluated in addition to exit site infections and episodes of acute peritonitis (AP). RESULTS: There were 39 men and 32 women. Average age was 61 years when we began CAPD and average time spent on CAPD program was 3.35 years. Illness that dominantly caused ESRD was diabetes (23 patients). Exit site infection was mostly caused by S epidermidis-MRSE and AP was most commonly caused by Staphylococcus sp. group. Most common cause of death was cardiovascular disease. At the end of this study, 9 patients were alive and still on CAPD, 10 were transplanted, 15 switched to HD and 36 died. CONCLUSION: Optimal prevention measures and treatment of infectious complications in CAPD is necessary for better treatment possibilities.

Relationship between number of daily exchanges at CAPD start with clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) continues to be demanding for patients affected by kidney failure. In kidney failure patients with residual kidney function, the employment of incremental PD, a less onerous dialytic prescription, could translate into a decrease burden on both health systems and patients. METHODS: Between 1st January 2009 and 31st December 2021, 182 patients who started continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) at our institution were included in the study. The CAPD population was divided into three groups according to the initial number of daily CAPD exchanges prescribed: one or two (50 patients, CAPD-1/2 group), three (97 patients, CAPD-3 group) and four (35 patients, CAPD-4 group), respectively. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed a difference in term of peritonitis free survival in CAPD-1/2 in comparison to CAPD-3 (hazard ratio (HR): 2.20, p = 0.014) and CAPD-4 (HR: 2.98, p < 0.01). A tendency towards a lower hospitalisation rate (CAPD-3 and CAPD-4 vs. CAPD-1/2, p = 0.11 and 0.13, respectively) and decreased mortality (CAPD-3 and CAPD-4 vs. CAPD-1/2, p = 0.13 and 0.22, respectively) in patients who started PD with less than three daily exchanges was detected. No discrepancy of the difference of the mean values between baseline and 24 months residual kidney function was observed among the three groups (p = 0.33). CONCLUSIONS: One- or two-exchange CAPD start was associated with a lower risk of peritonitis in comparison to three- or four-exchange start. Furthermore, an initial PD prescription with less than three exchanges may be associated with an advantage in term of hospitalisation rate and patient survival.

[Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Intraoperative Imaging for Fistula Identification of Pleuroperitoneal Communication by Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis:Report of a Case].

A 64-year-old female with chronic renal failure had been receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). She developed acute hydrothorax in the right pleural cavity 1 year after the commencement of CAPD. Scintigraphy revealed a diagnosis of pleuroperitoneal communication, and we performed video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. We infused a dialysis solution containing indocyanine green (ICG) through CAPD catheter. Near-infrared fluorescence thoracoscopy revealed a fistula that could not be identified by white light. We sutured the fistula covered with a polyglycolic acid sheet and fibrin glue. The CAPD was able to be resumed 8 days after surgery, and there was no recurrence of pleural effusion 10 months since surgery. Identification of the diaphragmatic fistula is important in the treatment of pleuroperitoneal communication. This technique using near-infrared fluorescence thoracoscopy with ICG was useful in identifying the fistula, and it emitted sufficient fluorescence even at low concentration ICG.

Successful treatment of peritonitis caused by Acremonium species without catheter removal: Case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: It is a rare case of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis associated with Acremonium spp infection. CASE PRESENTATION: Symptoms of Acremonium infection peritonitis are hidden and atypical, leucocytes in ascites are moderately elevated, and general bacterial culture difficulty obtains positive results. In this report, a patient with peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis caused by Acremonium species was successfully treated without catheter removal in our hospital. The organism species was cultured from a catheter and PD effluent fluid. The patient's peritonitis did not relapse within 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Once a patient on peritoneal dialysis was infected with fungal peritonitis, the outcome was usually to remove the tube and stop peritoneal dialysis. In this case, our experience is that using a catheter-salvage therapy method, we can successfully cure PD-related peritonitis associated with Acremonium sp.

The prophylactic omentectomy procedure in reducing the complication rate of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in pediatric: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The role of the omentectomy procedure on Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) catheter placement in pediatric patients has been differently evaluated in the literature, with some studies showing improvement while others showing no difference. Our study aims to define the advantages of omentectomy compared to a procedure without omentectomy. METHODS: The literature searching in online databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Scopus, and ClinicalTrial.gov) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, has been registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023412846). The protocol was performed through April 2023 and focused on pediatric patients treated with an omentectomy procedure and related complications. The risk of bias in each study was assessed using the risk of bias for the non-randomized control trials (ROBINS-I). The effect estimates were extracted as risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The heterogeneity of the studies was considered as high heterogeneity if I2 values above 50% or p < 0.05. RESULTS: In the total of 676 articles identified in the database searching for screening, nine studies with 775 patients met the criteria for inclusion. The omentectomy procedure significantly showed a lower incidence of catheter obstruction compared to the control group, (OR 0.24 [95% CI, 0.12-0.49], p < 0.0001, I2 = 0%). Moreover, omentectomy demonstrated a similar trend in the rate of removal or reinsertion of the catheter with high heterogeneity, OR 0.25 [95% CI, 0.12-0.51), p = 0.0002, I2 = 70%). CONCLUSIONS: The omentectomy procedure showed a lower incidence of catheter obstruction and complications leading to removal or reinsertion of the catheter.

Pharmacokinetic analysis of ceftazidime and cefazolin in the treatment of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis.

OBJECTIVE: Peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis (PDRP) presents a significant challenge for nephrologists. Continuous intraperitoneal cefazolin and ceftazidime are recommended for the treatment of peritonitis. However, some pharmacokinetic studies have shown that doses of 15-20 mg/kg/d may not achieve sufficient therapeutic levels. In this study, we investigated the pharmacokinetics of ceftazidime and cefazolin in patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis and compared the pharmacokinetic characteristics between traditional and modified treatment groups. METHODS: From February 2017 to December 2019, 42 PDRP patients (17 males, 25 females; mean age: 50.7 ± 12.1 years; mean body weight: 60.9 ± 11.8 kg) were recruited for the study, all participants were anuric. Twenty patients were enrolled in the traditional group and treated with cefazolin (1.0 g) and ceftazidime (1.0 g) via intraperitoneal administration once daily for 14 days. Twenty-two patients were enrolled in the modified group and received the same dose of antibiotics twice daily for the initial five days, followed by once daily for the subsequent nine days. Serum and dialysate samples were collected after days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 and analyzed via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: In the traditional group, the highest and lowest serum concentrations of ceftazidime were 35.9 and 21.7 µg/mL, respectively. The highest concentration of cefazolin was 54.6 µg/mL on day 5 and the lowest concentration was 30.4 µg/mL on day 1. In the modified group, the highest and lowest serum concentrations of ceftazidime were 102.2 and 54.8 µg/mL, respectively. The highest concentration of cefazolin was 141.7 µg/mL and the lowest concentration was 79.8 µg/mL. All antibiotic concentrations were above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) level (8 µg/mL of ceftazidime and 2 µg/mL of cefazolin) throughout the treatment period. However, on day 1, the concentration of ceftazidime in the third bag of dialysate effluent from the traditional group fell below the MIC level. Despite remaining above the MIC, cefazolin concentration was consistently lower in the third bag of dialysate effluent from the traditional group throughout the treatment period. CONCLUSIONS: Intraperitoneal administration of cefazolin and ceftazidime at a dose of 1 g twice daily for 5 days and then once daily for the rest of the treatment period ensured adequate therapeutic levels of antibiotics for treating anuric PDRP patients.

Factors Influencing Telehealth Service Use and Health Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis: Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy and user acceptance of telehealth in managing patients with chronic conditions, including continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). However, the rates of telehealth service use in various patient groups have been low and have declined over time, which may affect important health outcomes. Telehealth service use in patients undergoing CAPD has been recognized as a key challenge that needs to be examined further. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the rates of telehealth service use over 4 months, identify factors influencing its use, and examine the relationship between telehealth service use and health outcomes in Thai people undergoing CAPD. METHODS: This cross-sectional study, which was a part of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial study, was conducted at a dialysis center in Bangkok, Thailand. The study included patients who were undergoing CAPD. These patients were randomly enrolled in the intervention group to receive telehealth service and additional standard care for 4 months. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires, including a demographic form, Functional, Communicative, and Critical Health Literacy Scale, Perceived Usefulness Questionnaire, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire, and Kidney Disease Quality of Life 36 Questionnaire. Additionally, Google Analytics was used to obtain data on the actual use of the telehealth service. These data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, repeated-measures ANOVA, and regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 159 patients were included in this study. The mean rate of telehealth service use throughout the period of 4 months was 62.06 (SD 49.71) times. The rate of telehealth service use was the highest in the first month (mean 23.48, SD 16.28 times) and the lowest in the third month (mean 11.09, SD 11.48 times). Independent variables explained 27.6% of the sample variances in telehealth service use. Older age (ß=.221; P=.002), higher perceived usefulness (ß=.414; P<.001), unemployment (ß=-.155; P=.03), and positive illness perception (ß=-.205; P=.004) were associated with a significantly higher rate of telehealth service use. Regarding the relationship between telehealth service use and health outcomes, higher rates of telehealth service use were linked to better quality of life (ß=.241; P=.002) and lower peritonitis (odds ratio 0.980, 95% CI 0.962-0.997; P=.03). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides valuable insights into factors impacting telehealth service use, which in turn affect health outcomes in patients undergoing CAPD.

Left Ventricular Mass Index in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients during Hemodialysis and Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis.

Background: One of the primary reasons for high mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is cardiovascular disease in patients with renal replacement therapy (RRT). Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) significantly predicts mortality and cardiovascular events. Objectives: We assess the left ventricular mass index change in two dialysis methods: hemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The factors associated with increased left ventricular mass index (LVMI). Materials and Methods: We recruit more than 50 HD patients and 45 CAPD patients with LVH of similar age, gender, dialysis duration, and LVMI for one-year follow-up. Results: The LVMI in the group of HD patients after one year increased from 180.28 ± 45.32 g/m2 to 212.58 ± 66.22 g/m2 (p = 0.001), while the LVMI in the group of patients with CAPD increased from 190.16 ± 66.01 g/m2 to 197.42 ± 78 g/m2 (p = 0.32). Multivariable logistic regression analysis, we demonstrated that dialysis by HD (ß = -1,167, 95% CI: 0.104-0.938, p = 0.036) and anemia treatment lower the goals (ß = 1.9566, 95% CI: 1.466-34.094, p = 0.015) were two factors associated with the progression of the LVMI. Conclusion: The LVH of end-stage renal disease patients with HD treatment is worse than CAPD treatment after a follow-up in one year. Dialysis by periodic hemodialysis and anemia treatment that fails to achieve the goal are risk factors associated with increased progression of LVMI in patients with ESRD.

A unique case of Salmonella typhi peritonitis in a CAPD patient.

Peritonitis is the Achilles heel of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) leading to significant morbidity and mortality. We report a 57 year old lady with coronary artery disease, pulmonary hypertension and diabetic kidney disease on CAPD for four years, who presented with Salmonella typhi peritonitis. As response to intraperitoneal antibiotics was unsatisfactory, the peritoneal dialysis catheter was removed after five days and shifted to maintenance hemodialysis. Following resolution of infection after a prolonged course of intravenous antibiotics, a swan neck catheter was re-implanted after eight weeks. There was peritoneal membrane failure and hence she continued on hemodialysis but she succumbed.