Oral treatment of peritonitis complicating continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

The efficacy of oral treatment with cephradine in peritonitis associated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) was compared with that of intraperitoneal cefuroxime over one year. There were 29 episodes of peritonitis in each group and a primary cure was achieved in 66% of the patients treated with cephradine compared with 55% of the patients treated with cefuroxime, suggesting that oral cephradine is as effective as a treatment with intraperitoneal cefuroxime. Nineteen of the 29 episodes in each treatment group were considered suitable for out-patient management and there was no difference in the success rate of either antibiotic regimen. The results suggest that out-patient treatment with oral cephradine is an efficient way of treating CAPD peritonitis.