The complications of peritoneal dialysis in children with end-stage renal disease in Johannesburg, South Africa: a 5-year experience

Abstract

Children with end-stage renal disease are commonly placed onto chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) while awaiting transplant. Mechanical, infectious and metabolic complications of PD may lead to technique failure, morbidity or mortality. This study aims to describe the complications and associated risk factors in children on chronic PD. It consists of a retrospective record review of patients less than 18 years old enrolled on the chronic PD program between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2013. Seventy one percent of the patients had one or more complications while on PD. The most common complication was peritonitis (54%) followed by catheter obstruction in 29%. Patients on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) were significantly less likely to develop peritonitis than those on continuous ambulatory PD (OR 23.14, 95% CI 2.45 – 218.0, p = 0.002). We therefore recommend that PD patients be preferentially placed on APD.