Long-term continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

This paper reports experience with 65 patients treated by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) during the past five years. The patients are divided into 33 non-diabetic and 32 diabetic and the latter are subdivided into blind and sighted. Cumulative actuarial survival on CAPD calculated at five years was highest for blind diabetics, intermediate for non-diabetic and lowest for sighted diabetics. Blind diabetics had the lowest rate of drop-out from CAPD. Many patients, especially in the non-diabetic and sighted diabetic groups required temporary haemodialysis which allowed them to return to CAPD.