The effect of hand fine motor skills on peritoneal dialysis‐related peritonitis

Introduction We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the hand fine motor skills of peritoneal dialysis (PD) practitioners and PD‐related peritonitis. Methods This multicenter prospective observational study was conducted with 120 incident PD patients. Patients were divided into two groups who had PD‐related peritonitis within the first year as Group 1, and those who did not as Group 2. Hand fine motor skills were evaluated by Nine‐Hole Peg Test (NHPT) and Nut Screwing Test (NST). Results Initial NHPT (28.5 ± 6.0 s vs. 25.8 ± 5.0 s, p = 0.011) and NST (82.3 (61.5–102.8) s versus 65.3 (52.3–88.5) s p = 0.023) scores were significantly higher in Group 1 than Group 2. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, NHPT, Body Mass Index, Mini‐Mental Test, self PD practitioner, and catheter complications were found to be independent variables in predicting PD‐related peritonitis. Conclusion Decreased hand fine motor skills of PD patients is a risk factor for peritonitis.