E VUJOVICH1, J CUENCA2, P MCLENNAN1, J HOLT2
1University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia, 2Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, Australia
Aim: Examine the relationship between pre-treatment factors and peritoneal dialysis (PD) outcomes.
Background: Patients with end stage kidney disease requiring dialysis can choose from multiple modes of treatment depending on their personal needs. It is important for renal physicians to make informed decisions when recommending what modality may best suit a patient. Although many patients choose PD as a first option home therapy, current literature is limited regarding what pre-treatment factors may predict PD outcomes.
Methods: Retrospective study analysing data of patients from a major tertiary centre hospital in NSW who underwent education and assessment as part of their renal replacement therapy. Patients (n = 16) underwent a comprehensive pre-treatment assessment that includes measures of cognitive functioning (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), frailty (Frailty Phenotype Score) and mood (Patient Health Questionnaire 9).
Results: The results of Fisher’s exact test indicated that patients who took 6 or more days to complete their PD training had higher rates of peritonitis (p = .003). In addition, there were high rates of death or of being moved into a care home amongst those who developed peritonitis. A Mann-Whitney U test showed that older age was associated with higher rates of peritonitis (p = .03). There were no significant relationships between PD outcomes and patients’ pre-treatment scores of cognitive, frailty and depression measures.
Conclusions: Pre-treatment factors such as time taken to complete PD training and age may contribute to PD outcomes. Further research should be done with larger cohorts, investigating pre-treatment variables in PD and rates of peritonitis.
Biography:
Elicia Vujovich is a final year medical student at the University of Wollongong, Graduate Medicine. She has an Honours degree in Public Health, which she studied at Queens University in Canada. Prior to studying Graduate Medicine she worked for the Australian Red Cross, in Perth. This paper was part of the research component of her education, for the completion of her MD. She will be graduating in 2018 and commencing internship next year.