[Peritoneal dialysis in elderly]

Peritoneal dialysis is used more and more as treatment of substitution of the end stage renal disease at the old subjects of more than 65 years and its effectiveness and its good tolerance were shown. To study the epidemiological and clinical profile of these patients, the indication and the advantages of PD, the various complications, the elements of prognostic and the survival of the patients and the technique. We made a retrospective study including a series of 13 old patients of more than 65 years and treaties by PD during the period extending from the 1983/2/11 to the 2005/12/31. They are 10 men and 3 women on average of 70 +/- 3, 1 year and representing 3, 62%of the totality of the patients. The diabetic and vascular nephropathies represent the first cause of ESRD. The PD was used of first intention at 53,84%of the patients whose majority suffers from a malnutrition due to advanced age, anorexia, psychological disorders, bad dental state and uraemia. The cardiovascular complications are frequent in this age bracket explaining heavy morbidity. The pulmonary and urinary infectious complications are also frequent. The more frequent peritonitis compared to the literature, are comparable between the 2 age brackets