Wai-Choong Lye

Peritonitis remains a leading complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). It contributes to technique failure and hospitalization, and sometimes is associated with death of the patient. Severe and prolonged peritonitis can lead to peritoneal membrane failure. Therefore, the PD community continues to focus attention on prevention and treatment of PD-related infections.

Our objective was to study the impact of peritoneal catheter configuration on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)-related infections, mechanical complications, and patient dropout in a prospective randomized trial. Forty consecutive patients who were commencing CAPD were randomized to receive either a double-cuff, Swan neck coiled catheter or a double-cuff, straight Tenckhoff catheter, implanted by surgical technique. There was no significant difference in the peritonitis rate between the two groups. There was a lower rate of exit-site infection in the Swan neck group compared to the straight catheter group (0.29 vs 0.60 episodes/patient-year, p < 0.05). Catheter-tip migration occurred in 3 patients with the straight catheters compared to one patient with the Swan neck catheter. No patient had to discontinue CAPD because of mechanical complications. The number of CAPD patient dropouts was not significantly different between the two groups. The Swan neck configuration resulted in a significant reduction in the rate of exit-site infections. The coiled component of the catheter may lead to fewer episodes of catheter-tip migration. However, catheter configuration did not influence the number of technique failures.

We assessed the efficacy of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in a prospective trial for patients undergoing insertion of Tenckhoff catheters for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The prophylactic regimen was a single dose of cefazolin (500 mg) and gentamicin (80 mg) given intravenously half an hour before surgery. There was no significant difference in the number of exit site infections (8 in the antibiotic group vs. 8 in the controls) and the number of episodes of peritonitis (5 in the antibiotic group vs. 2 in the controls). Our study showed that prophylactic preoperative antibiotics did not reduce the number of exit site infections and peritonitis after the insertion of Tenckhoff catheters.

Renal disease is a common complication in malaria infection. In acute falciparum malaria renal involvement is usually mild, but in severe disease acute renal failure is a major problem. Acute renal failure has been attributed to ischaemic tubular necrosis from hypovolaemia resulting from vasodilatation due to endothelial injury. Though myositis is recorded as a common manifestation in falciparum malaria, only 1 case with myositis and myoglobinuria with acute renal failure has been documented; but no renal biopsy was performed in the patient. In the present study we examined the case of a 17-year-old man with severe falciparum malaria with myositis and myoglobinuria who developed acute renal failure requiring dialysis. Muscle biopsy revealed severe myositis with macrophages and T lymphocytes including CD4+ cells. The kidney biopsy showed scanty T cells and macrophages in the glomeruli which were only mildly hypercellular. The renal tubules showed myoglobin casts in the lumen and foci of interstitial inflammatory cells, including macrophages and T lymphocytes but no CD4+ cells. Rhabdomyolysis induced by macrophages and T cells with myoglobinuria and acute renal failure is a problem in severe falciparum malaria infection.