Fundamental study of bacterial peritonitis in CAPD: analysis of bacterial growth in peritoneal dialysis effluents

Bacterial growth was examined in both 1.5% DianealTM and peritoneal dialysis effluents (PDE) obtained from a 29-year-old female patient receiving CAPD treatment with DianealTM. S. epidermidis and S. aureus were selected because they were the most frequently isolated microorganism causing CAPD-related peritonitis. Growth of bacteria was inhibited in the DianealTM, but they persisted until the sixth hour and tended to increase in number until the twenty-fourth hour after inoculation. Although PDE is influenced by many factors affecting bacterial growth such as osmolarity, glucose, proteins, and pH, the most important factor enabling the bacteria to grow in the setting of PDE could not be identified. The fact that the bacteria did not increase in number until the 6th hour suggested that it is advisable to exchange CAPD fluid every six hours to prevent CAPD related peritonitis.