Consequences of Peritonitis
Peritonitis can have serious consequences for your health and your dialysis journey.1
Here are some possible impacts so that you can be aware.
Impacts on your dialysis journey
These can include antibiotics, possible catheter removal and temporary haemodialysis.1
- You will need to go to hospital. Treatment of peritonitis, most often with antibiotics, can take more than 1 or 2 weeks.1
- For severe infections, your catheter might need to be removed. If this happens, you will need to undergo haemodialysis before a catheter can be reinserted.1
Impacts on your health
These can include potentially severe health outcomes.1
Each infection causes some injury to your peritoneum. This can affect your future dialysis life. It can become harder to remove waste and fluid (ultrafiltration). You may eventually suffer from peritoneal dialysis failure.1
Without treatment, peritonitis can have serious health consequences, including:
Thankfully, the rate of peritonitis in Hong Kong has been decreasing over time. (Patients usually have 3 years without any peritonitis episodes, which is even better than the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis standard target of 2.5 years).6 We want to help you understand peritonitis so that you can make informed decisions for your health.
Where to go next?
Peritonitis Treatment
Do you suspect peritonitis? Learn about how peritonitis can be treated.
Peritonitis Prevention
The good news is that you can take simple steps to reduce your risk of peritonitis, little by little.1 Learn about how to prevent peritonitis.