Experience with Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis in Belgium

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This paper has reviewed experience in Belgium with 99 patients on CAPD. They represent 6-7% of all dialysis patients in this country. The principle reasons for selecting CAPD were old age, problems with vascular access and major cardiovas cular complications. Hemoglobin and hematrocrit values increased in all patients but preliminary measurements of red cell volume in some of them showed no change. Most patients showed moderate increases in serum triglycerides. In three non-diabetic patients with marked elevation in triglyceride levels, insulin, given intraperitoneally, prevented further increases. The frequency of peritonitis was still high; the average rate was one episode every 7.6 patient months. Other major complications included hypotension, which improved after the substitution of dialysate with a higher sodium concentration, severe respiratory disease and gangrene of the legs. After a mean follow-up of seven months, the death rate was 18% and the rate of technical success was 70%. The fact that most of our patients were in the high-risk category should be kept in mind when comparing these results with those obtained with other modes of treatment. At the end of 1978, a total of 1195 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were treated on either home or hospital dialysis in Belgium. There were 50 dialysis centers for a total population of 9.8 million. Of these 1195 patients, only seven were treated with either continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (2-4) or intermittent peritoneal dialysis. Since then and until July 1, 1980 the number of patients treated with CAPD in Belgium has increased to 99 and this paper describes our experience with these patients.