RESUMO
Since 1981, we have treated 46 adults aged 56 ñ 21 years, of whom 17 were diabetic, with intermittent peritoneal dialysis. Their main time on dialysis has been 21 months with an accumulated experience of 493 months/patient. The program included 2 dialyses per week, 25 exchanges of 21 session and 30 min of dwell time. Arterial pressure control has been satisfactory. Diabetic patients had a lower levels of serum calcium, alkaline phosphatases and m-PTH. The incidence of peritonitis has been 1 episode/14 months/patient and the causative agent has been Staphylococcus aureus in 47 percent of episodes. Mean catheter duration has been 15 months and 1 episode/34 months/patient of exit site infection has been recorded and Staphylococcus aureus has beeb the causative agent in 83 percent episodes. The risk of acquiring the first peritonitis was 12 percent at 3 months, 23 percent at 6 months and higher for non diabetic patients. Actuarial survival of treated patients at 12 and 24 months was 89 and 67 percent respectively. No differences in survival were recorded between diabetic and non diabetic patients. Fifty two percent of patients that dropped out continued on hemidialysis, 23 percent, 11 percent abandoned treatment, 8 percent continued on chronic ambulatory peritonela dialysis and 60 percent received a kidney allograft. We conclude that intermittent peritoneal dialysis is a good alternative treatment of chronic renal failure, even in diabetic patients