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PRINCIPLES OF PERITONEAL DIALYSIS
Because the patient is not required to make frequent visits to a Hemodialysis clinic, a patient on Peritoneal Dialysis may experience much less disruption to life than a patient on Hemodialysis. However, the risk of infections leading to episodes of peritonitis, a bacterial infection of the peritoneum, can limit Peritoneal Dialysis. In addition, patients using Peritoneal Dialysis must have some residual renal function. Both factors limit Peritoneal Dialysis as a long-term therapy for some patients. Therefore, in general, patients with end-stage renal disease require Hemodialysis treatment at some point during the course of their disease.
Hemodialysis is the more frequently used treatment; approximately 85% of the worldwide patient population are treated with Hemodialysis while 15% are on Peritoneal Dialysis. Yet, depending on different factors such as status of the medical infrastructure and reimbursement differences for treatment, there are significant differences in the utilization of Hemodialysi
s and Peritoneal Dialysis in various countries.