Infection is the Achilles heel of peritoneal dialysis. Exit site mupirocin prevents Staphylococcus aureus peritoneal dialysis (PD) infections but does not reduce Pseudomonas aeruginosa or other Gram-negative infections, which are associated with considerable morbidity and sometimes death. Patients from three centers (53% incident to PD and 47% prevalent) were randomized in a double-blinded manner to daily mupirocin or gentamicin cream to the catheter exit site. Infections were tracked prospectively by organism and expressed as episodes per dialysis-year at risk. A total of 133 patients were randomized, 67 to gentamicin and 66 to mupirocin cream. Catheter infection rates were 0.23/yr with gentamicin cream versus 0.54/yr with mupirocin (P ‫؍‬ 0.005). Time to first catheter infection was longer using gentamicin (P ‫؍‬ 0.03). There were no P. aeruginosa catheter infections using gentamicin compared with 0.11/yr using mupirocin (P < 0.003). S. aureus exit site infections were infrequent in both groups (0.06 and 0.08/yr; P ‫؍‬ 0.44). Peritonitis rates were 0.34/yr versus 0.52/yr (P ‫؍‬ 0.03), with a striking decrease in Gram-negative peritonitis (0.02/yr versus 0.15/yr; P ‫؍‬ 0.003) using gentamicin compared with mupirocin cream, respectively. Gentamicin use was a significant predictor of lower peritonitis rates (relative risk, 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.29 to 0.93; P < 0.03), controlling for center and incident versus prevalent patients. Gentamicin cream applied daily to the peritoneal catheter exit site reduced P. aeruginosa and other Gram-negative catheter infections and reduced peritonitis by 35%, particularly Gram-negative organisms. Gentamicin cream was as effective as mupirocin in preventing S. aureus infections. Daily gentamicin cream at the exit site should be the prophylaxis of choice for PD patients.

Objective To examine gram-negative exit-site infection and peritonitis rates before and after the implementation of Staphylococcus aureus prophylaxis in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Design Prospective data collection with periodic implementation of protocols to decrease infection rates in two PD programs. Patients 663 incident patients on PD. Interventions Implementation of S. aureus prophylaxis, beginning in 1990. Main Outcome Measures Rates of S. aureus, gram-negative, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa exit-site infections and peritonitis. Results Staphylococcus aureus exit-site infection and peritonitis rates fluctuated without significant trends during the first decade (without prophylaxis), then began to decline during the 1990s subsequent to implementation of prophylaxis, reaching levels of 0.02/year at risk and zero in the year 2000. Gram-negative infections fell toward the end of the 1980s, due probably to the implementation of better connectology. However, there have been no significant changes for the past 6 years. There was little change in P. aeruginosa infections over the entire time period. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is now the most common cause of catheter infection and catheter-related peritonitis. Conclusions Prophylaxis against S. aureus is highly effective in reducing the rate of S. aureus infections but has no effect on gram-negative infections. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is now the most serious cause of catheter-related peritonitis.

Objective To compare the accuracy and convenience of 3 methods for measuring drain volume for peritoneal dialysis (PD) clearance studies. Design Prospective comparison of both automated PD (APD) and continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD) clearance study methods. Setting Adults ≥18 years old at 2 dialysis clinics. Patients 28 PD patients with 43 clearance studies, 15 on CAPD and 28 on APD. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures Drain volume was determined by 3 methods for each study: ( 1 ) graduate-measured volume using a 2-L graduated cylinder; ( 2 ) weighed volume, with and without bag weight, using a digital floor scale or spring scale; ( 3 ) cycler-measured volume using the initial drain and ultrafiltration indicated by the cycler, plus the prescribed inflow volume without the last fill. Results There was no statistically significant difference in volumes using the 3 methods studied (all p > 0.89 for APD, all p > 0.97 for CAPD). Effluent volume was more accurate with the weight of the bag subtracted. Conclusion The most convenient and a precise method for APD is to determine the effluent drain volume using the prescription and total ultrafiltration and initial drain, as measured by the cycler. For CAPD, using the weight of drained bags is accurate but the weight of the empty bag must be subtracted. These approaches have the least risk of exposing staff to body fluids.