Experience with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Thirty-one patients were trained for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) over a 34-month period. Their mean age (42 +/- 14 years) did not differ from that of the total dialysis population. The training was conducted primarily on an outpatient basis by one registered nurse. The duration of treatment ranged from two to 34 months (median, 8.0 months). The technique failed in seven patients, in four because of peritonitis and in three because of catheter complications. Nine patients received renal transplants and one died while on CAPD. Dialysis was very effective with good biochemical control and excellent control of hypertension. Haemoglobin concentrations rose in 28 of the 31 patients (mean at 12 months, 2.0 g/L in 12 patients). Rehabilitation was comparable to that of home haemodialysis patients and superior to that of patients on hospital haemodialysis. The incidence of peritonitis decreased over the study period because of better patient selection, improved technology, and increased experience.