Prevention of Peritonitis in Peritoneal Dialysis

BACKGROUND: Peritonitis remains a significant problem in peritoneal dialysis (PD). It is the leading cause of technique failure, and contributes to mortality. The incidence is highest during the first year of treatment. Non-compliance with the PD protocol is shown to be an important risk factor for peritonitis. Reinforcement of knowledge and ability to perform PD therefore appears to be a possible way to reduce the incidence of peritonitis. This will be studied in The PEritonitis Prevention Study (PEPS). METHODS: The objective of this randomized, multi-centre investigation, which will include 750 new PD patients who can perform (PD) without assistance, is to evaluate if regular retraining can reduce the incidence of peritonitis, the technique-failure rate, and the hospitalisation days due to peritonitis compared with regular follow-up regimen. Patients in the intervention group will be tested by a PD-technique test and a questionnaire at regular intervals after PD-start and after every peritonitis episode with focus on infection prophylaxis. If needed, they will be retrained. The control group will be treated according to the routine of the center. The study is ongoing in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (UK). The study will go on for 6 years.