Hemoperitoneum in a peritoneal dialysis patient from a retroperitoneal source.

Hemoperitoneum in peritoneal dialysis patients is a known but infrequent complication. Hemoperitoneum is more frequent in women because of its association with a variety of gynecologic presentations such as reflux menstruation, ovulation, endometrial tissue implants within the peritoneal cavity (endometriosis), and bleeding follicular cysts. Other intraperitoneal causes of hemoperitoneum include minor catheter or abdominal trauma, vascular anomalies, or hepatic or splenic cysts. Less frequently encountered is a presentation of hemoperitoneum from a retroperitoneal source. These presentations result either from peritoneal inflammation and subsequent peritoneal bleeding or retroperitoneal cavity pathology rupturing into the peritoneal cavity. Here, we present the case of a peritoneal dialysis patient presenting with hemoperitoneum several days after undergoing cardiac catheterization. The catheterization was complicated by a large retroperitoneal hematoma. Details of the case are reported, and other retroperitoneal causes of hemoperitoneum are reviewed.

Economic evaluation of urgent-start peritoneal dialysis versus urgent-start hemodialysis in the United States.

Patients presenting late in the course of kidney disease who require urgent initiation of dialysis have traditionally received temporary vascular catheters followed by hemodialysis. Recent changes in Medicare payment policy for dialysis in the USA incentivized the use of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Consequently, the use of more expeditious PD for late-presenting patients (urgent-start PD) has received new attention. Urgent-start PD has been shown to be safe and effective, and offers a mechanism for increasing PD utilization. However, there has been no assessment of the dialysis-related costs over the first 90 days of care. The objective of this study was to characterize the costs associated with urgent-start PD, urgent-start hemodialysis (HD), or a dual approach (urgent-start HD followed by urgent-start PD) over the first 90 days of treatment from a provider perspective. A survey of practitioners from 5 clinics known to use urgent-start PD was conducted to provide inputs for a cost model representing typical patients. Model inputs were obtained from the survey, literature review, and available cost data. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted. The estimated per patient cost over the first 90 days for urgent-start PD was $16,398. Dialysis access represented 15% of total costs, dialysis services 48%, and initial hospitalization 37%. For urgent-start HD, total per patient costs were $19,352, and dialysis access accounted for 27%, dialysis services 42%, and initial hospitalization 31%. The estimated cost for dual patients was $19,400. Urgent-start PD may offer a cost saving approach for the initiation of dialysis in eligible patients requiring an urgent-start to dialysis.