Peritoneal Dialysis

Abstract

Peritoneal dialysis was first used for the treatment of renal failure by Ganter (1923). It never became a popular method because of the frequency of complications such as peritonitis, leakage, inadequate peritoneal drainage, fluid and electrolyte disturbances, and because of the development of haemodialysis. However, haemodialysis is a procedure which can be performed only at special centres, since it requires a trained team using rather complicated and costly apparatus. The simplicity of peritoneal dialysis still appealed to some workers, and Maxwell et al. ( They claimed that the method could be undertaken in any hospital and could largely be managed by nursing staff. They reported their experience in 76 cases and showed the method to be effective and remarkably free from complications.