[Transfer from chronic haemodialysis to peritoneal dialysis].

Peritoneal dialysis patients are frequently transferred from peritoneal dialysis to haemodialysis. In contrary transfer from chronic haemodialysis to peritoneal dialysis is rare. The aim of this study is to describe the main characteristics and the outcome of the dialysis patients transferred from haemodialysis to peritoneal dialysis. We retrospectively analyzed the files of 25 patients treated by haemodialysis for more than 3 months between 1992 and 2002 and subsequently transferred on peritoneal dialysis. Technique survival was 56% at 1 year and 40% at two years in haemodialysis. Technique survival was lower in the group starting haemodialysis in emergency compared with the group of patients who did not need emergent haemodialysis (33 vs 77% at 1 year, P<0.05). The reasons for transfer from haemodialysis to peritoneal were vascular access problems (13/25), cardiovascular problems (7/25), and patient's choice (5/25). Automated peritoneal dialysis was used in 9 cases and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in 16 cases. In 13 cases peritoneal dialysis was performed by a home care nurse. At the initiation of peritoneal dialysis the mean age was 58+/-18 years, the mean Charlson's comorbidity score was 6.1+/-2.5 and 15 patients had a cardiovascular disease. The median time on peritoneal dialysis was 5.2 months. During the time on peritoneal dialysis sixteen patients presented at least one complication related to peritoneal dialysis. In addition fourteen patients were hospitalized for a reason which was not associated with peritoneal dialysis. Survival on peritoneal dialysis was 61% at six months and 35% at one year. In conclusion, in our study, patients transferred from haemodialysis to peritoneal dialysis have had a poor outcome on peritoneal dialysis. However, these patients presented numerous comorbid conditions at peritoneal dialysis initiation which could explain the poor outcome on peritoneal dialysis.