Eligibility and patient barriers to peritoneal dialysis in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease

Introduction: The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing in Kenya and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. While definitive treatment is renal transplantation, many patients require kidney replacement therapy with haemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD). The predominant modality utilized in Kenya is currently HD. There is a need to explore why PD remains underutilized and whether patient factors may be contributory to barriers that limit the uptake of PD. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study where patients with advanced CKD were assessed by a multidisciplinary team for PD eligibility using a standardized tool. Contraindications and barriers to the modality were recorded as was the presence or absence of support for the provision of PD. Demographic and clinical data were recorded using a standardized questionnaire. The impact of support on PD eligibility was determined. Results: We found that 68.9% patients were eligible for PD. Surgery-related abdominal scarring was the most common contraindication. Barriers to PD were identified in 45.9% and physical barriers were more common than cognitive barriers. Presence of support was associated with a significant increase in PD eligibility (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The rate of eligibility for PD in this study was similar to that found in other populations. Surgical-related factors were the most commonly identified contraindication. Physical and cognitive barriers were commonly identified and may be overcome by the presence of support for PD.