A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED STUDY ON THREE DIFFERENT PERITONEAL DIALYSIS CATHETERS

✦ Objective: We compared outcomes for catheters with different configurations: conventional straight, swan-neck straight tip, and swan-neck curled tip. ✦ Design: The study was conducted as a prospective randomized controlled trial in the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) unit of a university center. ✦ Patients and Methods: We randomized 93 new regular CAPD patients without prior peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter insertion to receive a conventional straight, double-cuffed catheter (CS), a swan-neck straight catheter (SNC), or a swan-neck curled tip catheter (SNC) in 2:1:1 ratio. ✦ Results: The exit-site infection (ESI) rate was slightly lower with swan-neck catheters as compared with straight catheters, but the difference was not statistically significant. The peritonitis rate and overall catheter survival were similar. In Staphylococcus aureus nasal non carriers as compared with carriers, ESI-free catheter survival was significantly better with swan-neck catheters (p = 0.0302 and p= 0.82 respectively). As compared with SC catheters, SNC catheters had a significantly higher migration rate (p = 0.022). ✦ Conclusions: Swan-neck catheters were associated with a slightly better ESI rate, but SNC catheters are not routinely recommended because of a high migration rate. The SNS catheter is therefore recommended as the first-line catheter of choice, particularly in populations with a low rate of S. aureus nasal carriage.