title: Correlation of periscreen strip results and white cell count in peritoneal dialysis peritonitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Monitoring of peritoneal dialysis (PD) peritonitis can be difficult for visually impaired patients. PeriScreen strips measure leukocyte esterase activity and this might be a useful objective test that can be performed by patients at home.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study of 138 episodes of peritonitis was undertaken. Effluent samples were analysed for white cell count (WCC) and PeriScreen score on days 3 and 5. Co-morbidity data were collated from these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Effluent WCC and PeriScreen results were found to correlate with the gold standard assessment of microbiology WCC count. A positive PeriScreen result on day 5 predicted that the episode of peritonitis would relapse after treatment with a sensitivity of 80% but with a poor specificity of 45%. Patients who cleared or relapsed their peritonitis could not be differentiated based on their burden of co-morbidity, Karnofsky scores, age, dialysis vintage or infective organism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PeriScreen strip analysis correlated with microscopic WCC of PD. However, analysis of PD effluent on day 5 of treatment is not a good test to risk stratify patients for relapsing peritonitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Renal Medicine and Transplantation, The Royal London and St Bartholomew's Hospitals, London, UK. s.fan@qmul.ac.uk
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Punzalan
mesh_terms: D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011934:Reagent Strips; D012008:Recurrence; D012646:Self Administration; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D011934:Reagent Strips; C021443:leukocyte esterase; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases