ABSTRACT Introduction: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been considered a safe option of therapy in end-stage renal disease patients with urgent need of dialysis. Recently, it was proposed that Urgent-Start-PD (US-PD) be defined when PD starts within 72 hours after catheter placement and “early start” PD (ES-PD) when PD starts between 3 and 14 days after. We aimed to compare demographic and clinical characteristics between patients in US-PD and ES-PD as well as 30-day complications, 6-month hospitalization, and dropout rate. Methods: Adult patients starting PD within 14 days after catheter insertion (October/2016 - February/2019) were included and divided into US-PD group and ES-PD group based on the their PD initiation time. Clinical and demographic data, fill volume for the first PD session, 30-day complications, 6-month hospitalization, and dropout rate were assessed. Results: In our study, 72 patients were analyzed (US-PD=40, ES-PD=32) with mean age of 53.2±15.2 years old. No differences between US-PD and ES-PD regarding demographic characteristics, 30-day complications, 6-month hospitalization, and dropout events were found. The most frequent short-term complication in patients who started PD urgently was leakage. The most common cause of dropout was transfer to HD. Conclusion: Fifty five percent of our sample started PD less than 72 hours after catheter insertion. The lack of difference in the measured outcomes compared to patients that had therapy initiated after this period encourages the use of urgent PD when needed.

Background and Aims In the last ten years, peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been considered a safe option to start renal replacement therapy (RRT) in end-stage renal disease patients in need to start dialysis urgently. The definition applied to the Urgent Start PD (US-PD) varies widely worldwide. Recently, it was proposed that US-PD definition should be according to patients’ necessity of starting dialysis, considering “urgent start” when PD started up to 72 hours of catheter placement and “early start” PD when it is starts between 3 and 14 days after catheter placement. Considering this new definition, we aimed to compare demographical and clinical characteristics of patients´ that started PD therapy as urgent and early starts as well as 30-day complications, 6-month hospitalization and dropout rate. Method All adult patients that started PD therapy up to 14 days after catheter insertion in our institution between October 2016 and February 2019 were included in the analyses. Patients were placed on urgent-start (US-PD) group if therapy started until 72-h after catheter insertion or early-start (ES-PD) group if PD initiated between 3 and 14 days. Dialysis records were reviewed to obtain clinical and demographic data, fill volume prescribed for the first PD session, 30-days complications (leakage, bleeding, catheter tip migration and peritonitis) and 6-month hospitalization and dropout rate. Results In our study, 72 patients were analyzed (US-PD=52, ES-PD=20), mean age was 53.2 ± 15.2 years old. No differences between US-PD and ES-PD regarding demographic characteristics, 30-day complications and 6-month hospitalization and dropout events were found. The most frequent short-term complication in patients who started PD urgently was leakage (US-PD 6 (11%) x ES-PD 2(10%) patients). The most common cause of patient’s dropout was transfer to HD.Only patients from the US-PD group needed to switch to that modality (5 (10%)). Conclusion Almost three-quarters of our sample started PD less than 72 hours after catheter insertion. The lack of difference in the measured outcomes compared to patients that had therapy initiated after this period encourages the use of PD when urgent dialysis is needed.