Use of Ointments in Prevention of Catheter Related Infections in PD

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is used for the treatment of end-stage renal disease in approximately 25% of patients requiring dialysis in Canada. The most common PD related complication is infective peritonitis, a syndrome of acute pain, cloudy peritoneal dialysate, and infection. Although many cases of peritonitis can be treated as an outpatient, recurrent or unresolving infections can result in fibrotic changes in the peritoneal membrane, catheter removal or patient death. Gram positive organisms are amongst the commonest causes of PD peritonitis; however, recent trends show an increasing rate of gram negative and fungal infections. Strategies to prevent peritonitis include the use of prophylactic topical mupirocin at the site where the PD catheter exits from the abdominal wall. Despite this and other innovations peritonitis is still diagnosed, on average, in one patient out of every 24 patients followed for a month. The aim of this study is to determine if the incidence of catheter related infections (exit site infection, tunnel infection or peritonitis) is significantly reduced by the routine application of Polysporin Triple in comparison to mupirocin ointment.A multi-centre randomized double blind, controlled study is proposed. Polysporin Triple will be compared against the current standard of care. All patients currently being treated with, or starting onto, peritoneal dialysis will be eligible. Participants will be randomized to one of two treatment arms (mupirocin; Polysporin Triple) and stratified according to a) centre b) vintage (incident versus prevalent), and c) type of PD (chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis vs. automated PD). Patients will be followed for 18 months or until the first catheter related infection, death or catheter removal due to technique failure. Catheter related infections will be strictly defined using current guidelines and categorized into exit site infections, infective peritonitis or tunnel infections.