Predictors of survival in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients: a five-year prospective study.

Our objective was to examine the influence of various demographic, clinical, and enrollment biochemical variables on the long-term survival of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. This was a prospective cohort study investigating the relationship between demographics and enrollment biochemical markers and mortality in CAPD patients in a CAPD unit in a large tertiary care teaching hospital. One hundred and sixty-nine patients in the CAPD program were enrolled between 1989 and 1994, and were followed up to 60 months. Independent predictors of mortality determined by Cox proportional hazards model included age, diabetes, serum albumin and creatinine. Enrollment level of serum albumin, and creatine can predict mortality in CAPD patients up to 60 months. Markers of visceral and somatic nutrition at enrollment are important predictors of mortality in CAPD patients up to five years.