Early initiation of icodextrin reduces peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis risk: a retrospective cohort study

Introduction: Peritonitis is a common and serious complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD) that leads to its discontinuation and death. Icodextrin (ICO) improves peritoneal ultrafiltration and its early use reduces mortality. However, its effectiveness in reducing PD-associated infections remains to be elucidated. Methods: This retrospective observational study enrolled patients who underwent PD between September 2011 and March 2020. The patients were classified into two groups: those who received ICO at the initiation of PD therapy (early ICO) and those who received ICO later or not at all (late/no ICO) and were followed up from PD induction until PD cessation, death, or three years had passed. Results: Of the 82 patients (age, 61 [53–72] years), 21 received early ICO. During follow-up (36 [14–36] months), the incidence of PD-associated peritonitis was 0.17 episodes per patient-year. Log-rank tests indicated that PD-associated peritonitis and tunnel infection (TI)-free survival rates were significantly better with the early use of ICO than that with late/no ICO (P = 0.02 and P = 0.01, respectively). The early use of ICO remained significantly associated with decreased incidence of both peritonitis and TI (hazards ratio [HR], 0.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06–0.69 and HR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.01–0.78, respectively) using Cox regression analysis adjusted for potential confounders. Conclusion: Beginning ICO administration at the initiation of PD shows promise for mitigating the risks of PD-associated peritonitis and TI.