Risk factors associated with outcomes of peritoneal dialysis in Taiwan: An analysis using a competing risk model

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is one option for renal replacement therapy in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Maintenance of the PD catheter is an important issue for patient outcomes and quality of life. The aim of this retrospective cohort study is to clarify the risk factors of technique failure and outcomes at a single institute in Taiwan. The study enrolled ESRD patients who had received PD catheters in a tertiary hospital in northern Taiwan. Using a competing risks regression model, we reviewed clinical data and analyzed them in terms of the time to technical failure and clinical outcomes, including PD-related peritonitis and mortality. A total of 514 patients receiving PD between 2001 and 2013 were enrolled in the study. According to the multivariate analysis model, we found that diabetes mellitus was a risk factor for PD-related peritonitis (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR] 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–2.04, P = .021). Female gender and higher serum albumin levels were associated with lower risks of technique failure (SHR 0.67, 95% CI 0.48–0.94, P = .02; SHR 0.75, 95% CI 0.58–0.96, P = .023, respectively), but Gram-negative and polymicrobial infection increased the technique failure rate (SHR 1.68, 95% CI 1.08–2.61, P = .021; SHR 1.93, 95% CI 1.11–3.36, P = .02, respectively). Female gender was a risk factor associated with overall mortality (SHR 6.4, 95% CI 1.42–28.81, P = .016). Higher weekly urea clearance (Kt/V) and weekly creatinine clearance (WCCr) were associated with a lower risk of mortality (SHR 0.1, 95% CI 0.01–0.89, P = .04; SHR 0.97, 95% CI 0.96–0.99, P = .004, respectively). Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor contributing to PD-related peritonitis. Male patients and lower serum albumin levels were associated with higher rates of technique failure. Female gender, lower Kt/V, and WCCr are risk factors for overall mortality in PD patients.