title: Racial differences and peritonitis in an urban peritoneal dialysis center.
abstract: Racial differences have been reported among various groups with end-stage renal disease maintained on dialysis. In particular, patient survival on dialysis has been reported to be better in African-American patients than in Caucasian patients. Peritonitis rates and dropout from chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD) have been reported to be higher in African-American patients. We decided to review our experience with peritonitis rates in African-American and Caucasian patients. From 1994 to 2000, 403 patients were maintained on CPD in the New Haven continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) unit. Peritonitis rates were 1 episode in 14 patient-months in Caucasian patients and 1 episode in 13.6 patient-months in African-American patients. Mean ages at the start of dialysis were 52.4 +/- 16.2 years in the Caucasian patients and 62.6 +/- 14.9 years in the African-American patients. African-American patients were older. African-American and Caucasian patients had similar peritonitis rates. Time of first episode of peritonitis was not different in the two groups.
authors.affiliation: New Haven CAPD, Renal Research Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Juergensen
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gorban-Brennan
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Troidle
authors.forename: Fredric O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory / Q000009:adverse effects; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019037:Urban Health Services; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data