title: A multicenter study on the hospitalization of pediatric patients on chronic peritoneal dialysis.
abstract: The Italian Registry of Pediatric Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis (CPD) carried out a special study on patient hospitalization during the years 1989-1992. Ninety-two children (mean age 8.4 +/- 4.7 years) entered the study, for a total of 1406 CPD-months. The contribution of the different causes of hospitalization for a total of 4683 hospital days was: CPD training 31%; routine controls 14%; CPD-related complications 35%; clinical complications 14%; other causes 6%. The rate of patient hospitalization that resulted was 3.33 days/CPD-month; it was higher in the first year (4.32 days/CPD-month) than in the second year (1.64 days/CPD-month) or in the third year (2.25 days/CPD-month). This difference was mainly due to the need for the training at the start of the CPD treatment. The evaluation of the hospitalization rate in different age groups showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the group 0-2 years (5.47 days/CPD-month) and the group 3-15 years (2.78 days/CPD-month). Complications were the cause of 150 admissions to the hospital (1:9.6 CPD-months). Ninety-eight admissions were due to CPD-related complications: peritonitis (33%), problems with the catheter (19%), abdominal hernias (4%), and others (9%). Among clinical complications (52 admissions), the main cause of hospitalization was hypertension (15%), followed by infections (4%), and malnutrition (3%).
authors.affiliation: Italian Registry of Pediatric Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verrina
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Edefonti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perfumo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zacchello
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bassi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viglino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sorino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castellani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lavoratti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picca
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects