Durand P-Y, Benevent D, Issad B, Chanliau J, Kessler M
Peritoneal dialysis in 15 cirrhotic patients with chronic renal failure: long term study
17th Annual CAPD Conference
Perit Dial Int Suppl 1 (Feb) 17:S59 1997

Patients with end stage liver disease (ESLD) and ascites represent a particularly challenging subset of the ESRD population. These French investigators studied 15 patients with ascites on CAPD with alcoholic, post-hepatitis, toxic, or amyloid associated cirrhosis of at least Child's Class B. The overall peritonitis rate (1 episode per 19 patient months) was better than that observed for more stable patients in other developed countries including the USA (1 episode per 12-18 patient months). Also noted was an increase in ultrafiltration and transperitoneal solute clearance (creatinine D/P 0.75 and glucose peritoneal desaturation 0.31). While only 7 patients were alive after a mean of 4.6 years on therapy (range 1.2 - 14 years), none of the deaths were due to complications of CAPD.

Comment: These observations support the adequacy and safety of peritoneal dialysis in patients with ESLD and ascites. The remarkably low peritonitis rate noted by these investigators deserves further elucidation. (Sri Narsipur, MD, SUNY-HSC at Syracuse, NY)

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17th Annual CAPD Conference
CRF by organ system : GI/Liver, Hepatitis