title: Outcome of peritoneal dialysis in cirrhotic patients with chronic renal failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Results of peritoneal dialysis (PD) in cirrhotic patients with renal failure are debated. The aim of the present study is to assess the outcome of PD patients with liver cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study based on clinical records was performed in 21 cirrhotic and 41 PD patients without liver disease followed up at our PD unit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five-year patient and technique survival were similar in the two groups. Seven cirrhotic patients (33%) died of liver failure (5 patients), liver cancer (1 patient), and peritonitis (1 patient). Ten controls (24%) died of cardiovascular complications (6 patients), pneumonia (1 patient), cachexia (1 patient), and unknown reasons (2 patients). Six cirrhotic patients discontinued PD therapy after 44.3 +/- 24.7 months because of inadequate dialysis (2 patients), sclerosing peritonitis (2 patients), dementia (1 patient), or patient choice (1 patient). Twelve controls discontinued PD therapy after 33 +/- 25.9 months because of peritonitis (6 patients), exit-site infection (1 patient), inadequate peritoneal clearance (3 patients), catheter malfunction (1 patient), and patient request (1 patient). The peritonitis rate was 0.31 episodes/y in cirrhotic patients and 0.53 episodes/y in controls (P = not significant). The hospitalization rate was similar (16.5 d/y in cirrhotic patients, 15.4 d/y in controls). In cirrhotic patients, complications were leakage (3 patients), symptomatic hypotension (5 patients), anemia (5 patients), severe malnutrition (14 patients), sclerosing peritonitis (2 patients), and hepatic encephalopathy (3 patients).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The outcome of PD and risk for bacterial peritonitis or other dialysis complications are not worsened by the presence of liver cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Nefrologia e Dialisi and Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy. deveccpd@policlinico.mi.it
authors.forename: Amedeo F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: De Vecchi
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colucci
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salerno
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scalamogna
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ponticelli
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome