OBJECTIVE: To establish the usefulness of fibrin degradation products (FDP) and lactic dehydrogenase isoenzyme patterns (LDH isoenzyme) in assessing the clinical course of peritonitis. DESIGN: A retrospective study of patients with peritonitis who were divided into three groups according to their clinical course. SETTING: Single dialysis unit of a general hospital. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were treated by intraperitoneal and oral antibiotics. PATIENTS: Twenty-six patients with 34 episodes of peritonitis were studied. Group 1 consisted of 21 patients with 26 recoveries from peritonitis; Group 2 consisted of 5 patients with 5 relapsing episodes of peritonitis, and Group 3 consisted of 3 patients with 3 persistent episodes of peritonitis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Concentrations of WBCs, FDP, LDH isoenzyme and microbiological culture of the dialysate were determined. RESULTS: In most of Group 1, WBCs, FDP, and LDH isoenzyme returned to normal within 2 weeks. In 4 patients of Group 1, who had complications (diverticulitis, cholecystitis, cystitis, and tunnel infection), WBCs, FDP, and LDH isoenzyme returned to normal gradually within 3 weeks. In Group 2, WBCs returned to normal, but FDP remained relatively high and LDH isoenzyme did not normalize. In Group 3, WBCs, FDP and LDH isoenzyme did not normalize. CONCLUSIONS: Failure of normalization of FDP and LDH isoenzyme suggests an incomplete recovery from peritonitis. FDP and LDH isoenzyme are useful in assessing the course of peritonitis.
OBJECTIVE: To establish the usefulness of fibrin degradation products (FDP) and lactic dehydrogenase isoenzyme patterns (LDH isoenzyme) in assessing the clinical course of peritonitis. DESIGN: A retrospective study of patients with peritonitis who were divided into three groups according to their clinical course. SETTING: Single dialysis unit of a general hospital. INTERVENTIONS:Patients were treated by intraperitoneal and oral antibiotics. PATIENTS: Twenty-six patients with 34 episodes of peritonitis were studied. Group 1 consisted of 21 patients with 26 recoveries from peritonitis; Group 2 consisted of 5 patients with 5 relapsing episodes of peritonitis, and Group 3 consisted of 3 patients with 3 persistent episodes of peritonitis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Concentrations of WBCs, FDP, LDH isoenzyme and microbiological culture of the dialysate were determined. RESULTS: In most of Group 1, WBCs, FDP, and LDH isoenzyme returned to normal within 2 weeks. In 4 patients of Group 1, who had complications (diverticulitis, cholecystitis, cystitis, and tunnel infection), WBCs, FDP, and LDH isoenzyme returned to normal gradually within 3 weeks. In Group 2, WBCs returned to normal, but FDP remained relatively high and LDH isoenzyme did not normalize. In Group 3, WBCs, FDP and LDH isoenzyme did not normalize. CONCLUSIONS: Failure of normalization of FDP and LDH isoenzyme suggests an incomplete recovery from peritonitis. FDP and LDH isoenzyme are useful in assessing the course of peritonitis.