Prophylaxis against gram-positive organisms causing exit-site infection and peritonitis in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients by applying mupirocin ointment at the catheter exit site

Objective: We evaluated the effectiveness of local application of mupirocin ointment at the catheter exit site in preventing exit-site infection and peritonitis attributable to gram-positive organisms in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients. Methods:This prospective randomized controlled trial included 154 patients. They were randomly allocated to a mupirocin-treated group (group M) and a control group (group C). Group M included 73 patients (47.4%) who were instructed to apply mupirocin ointment to the catheter exit site once daily after the routine daily exit-site dressing. Group C included 81 patients (52.6%) who continued their usual daily exit-site care without applying mupirocin. The two groups were followed to see whether there would be any difference in the frequency of exit-site infection and peritonitis or in the infecting organisms. Results: Interim data were collected at 5 months after the start of the study. Those data showed a significantly lower incidence of exit-site infection and peritonitis attributable to gram-positive organisms in group M as compared with group C. The incidence of gram-positive exit-site infection in group C was 1 episode per 36.8 patient-months; in group M, the incidence was 1 episode per infinity patient-months (0 incidence in 5 months, p < 0.05). The incidence of gram-positive peritonitis in group C was 1 episode per 40.5 patient-months; in group M, the incidence was 1 episode per 365 patient-months (p < 0.05). Mupirocin treatment had no significant effect on the incidence of exit-site infection and peritonitis attributable to other organisms. Before mupirocin treatment, we saw a trend toward higher infection rates in diabetic patients and nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus as compared with non diabetic patients and nasal non carriers, although the differences were not statistically significant. Mupirocin brought the infection rate attributable to gram-positive organisms to an equally low level in diabetic and non-diabetic patients, and in nasal carriers and nasal non carriers of S. aureus. No adverse effect of local application of mupirocin was reported. Conclusion: Local application of mupirocin ointment at the catheter exit site is a safe and effective method of preventing exit-site infection and peritonitis involving gram-positive organisms.