Vancomycin-resistant peritonitis associated with peritoneal dialysis: a cause for concern.

BACKGROUND: Peritonitis resulting from peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains a serious cause of morbidity and even mortality among dialysis patients. AIM: To highlight the danger of antibiotic resistance in patients on dialysis who have received multiple courses of antibiotics. METHODS: Two cases are reported in which the patients developed peritonitis resistant to vancomycin. CONCLUSIONS: Multi-drug resistance is a growing danger. It is imperative to use the most appropriate antibiotics in the proper dosage. If infections persist, early removal of the catheters is essential. The use of antibiotics in PD patients needs to be limited. Sensitivity patterns of the cultured organisms must be monitored regularly as the lack of vigilance may help accelerate the development of the so-called 'super bug' resistant to all antibiotics.