The use of peritoneal dialysis (PD) is increasing at a faster rate in developing than in developed countries, according to what Canadian researchers say is the first comprehensive assessment of PD worldwide.
A team at London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ontario, led by Arsh Jain, MD, compiled data from 90 countries between 1997 and 2006 and concluded that approximately 150,000 patients are receiving PD worldwide.
Over the 10-year period, the proportion of dialysis patients treated with PD decreased by 4.5% in developed countries and increased by 1.2% in developing countries, investigators reported at the Canadian Society of Nephrology Annual Meeting in Edmonton, Alberta. The rate of PD patients per million population (pmp) rose by 25 pmp in the developing world vs. 23 pmp in the developed world.
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In addition, the rate of automated PD use increased by 15.2 pmp in the developed countries vs. 3.7 pmp in developing countries. The use of continuous ambulatory PD remained stagnant in both developed and developing countries.
Dr. Jain noted that PD “may be well-suited for a number of nations, as this treatment is considered, by some, to be less expensive than hemodialysis.”
