title: Does a history of peritoneal dialysis result in an impaired gastrointestinal life quality?
abstract: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) invariably induces sclerotic changes in the peritoneal membrane. The impact of these changes on the well-being of PD patients has not been studied sufficiently. In a matched-pair analysis, the gastrointestinal life quality of patients with a history of PD was compared with end-stage renal disease patients who never performed PD, using a standardized questionnaire (gastrointestinal life-quality index [GLQI]). We identified all patients in our dialysis unit who underwent PD between 1989 and 2001 and who were alive in October 2001 (PD patients; n=53). Patients who were treated by hemodialysis (HD patients) were recruited as pairs. Hemodialysis and PD patients did not differ in gastrointestinal life quality (GLQI: HD 106.0+/-16.4 points; PD 104.0+/-16.7 points; p=0.70). Gastrointestinal life quality was neither correlated with the number of peritonitis episodes, nor with the duration of PD treatment. Peritoneal dialysis treatment is not associated with a long-term impairment of gastrointestinal life quality.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Medical Department IV, University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany. inghei@uniklinik-saarland.de
authors.forename: Gunnar H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Heine
authors.forename: Chantal Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kastner
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jahnke
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.forename: Martin K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kuhlmann
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome