Long-term outcomes in children on chronic continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: a retrospective cohort study from a developing country

Background Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is the preferred modality of dialysis among children with end-stage renal disease. Methods To study the incidence of technique failure and survival among children with end-stage renal disease on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), we included children younger than 18 years of age who commenced and continued PD for more than 3 months as their primary form of dialysis between 1st January 2005 and 31st December 2016. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was applied to analyze the CAPD outcomes. Results A total of 68 Tenckhoff (58 double cuffs, and ten single cuffs) catheters were inserted in 66 patients (mean age 12.3 +/- 3.91 years) during the study period. Of the 66 children, 31 (47%) experienced 45 episodes of peritonitis. The total duration on CAPD was 107.58 years with a peritonitis rate of 0.42 episodes per year. Overall, the mean patient survival was 41 (95% confidence interval (CI) 29-54) months, with mean patient survival of 72% at 12 months, declining to 30% at 36 months and then remaining stable until the end of follow-up (106 months). The overall mean technique survival was 55 (95% CI 40-69) months, with mean technique survival of 69% at 12 months, declining to 44% at 36 months and then remaining stable until the end of follow-up (106 months). Conclusion CAPD is a viable option for end-stage renal disease in children from developing countries with a lack of access to automated PD and pediatric hemodialysis centers.