Risk factors, management and outcomes for peritoneal dialysis access damage.

Objectives: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) access damage is an uncommon complication of PD. This study aimed to describe the characteristics, management and outcomes of PD access damage.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients who suffered from PD access damage between January 2018 and January 2024 at the PD Center of West China Hospital. Patient characteristics and access damage information were collected from medical records.

Results: A total of 128 PD patients without PD access damage were included in the control group. A total of 45 patients (51% male; aged 58 ± 14 years) suffered from 49 cases of PD access damage. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that previous peritonitis [odds ratio (OR) 3.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.56 to 9.94] and assisted PD (OR 4.20; 95% CI 1.25 to 14.12) were risk factors, while catheter belt use (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.44) and training frequency per year (0.34; 95% CI 0.19 to 0.64) were protective factors against PD access damage. Managements included cutting and repairing ( = 24), transfer set replacement ( = 11), catheter removal ( = 9) and catheter replacement ( = 4). Thirty-nine patients continued with PD after access repair and were followed up for a median of 35 months. The repaired access functioned well during follow-up.

Conclusions: In conclusion, to avoid PD access damage, catheter belt and routine retraining are recommended. Once PD access damage is identified, patients should clamp the catheter, take prophylactic antibiotics and resort to the treatment team. The treatment team should evaluate PD access and handle it according to a clinical protocol.