The use of CAPD in the management of renal failure in diabetics

Abstract

Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) was originally introduced by Popovich et al. in 1976, and since its introduction, it has offered better management of diabetic patients with End-Stage Renal Failure. In this context CAPD offers several medical advantages which include, steady-state control of uraemia, easier control of hypertension, stable cardiovascular status without rapid fluid shifts, and good tight control of blood sugar achieved by the intraperitoneal administration of insulin. Social advantages include, freedom from machine and electrical outlets, thereby enabling patients to travel extensively, no need to learn complex machinery and training time can be reduced to 10 - 15 days. In this project, four studies were conducted. The aims of the studies were to: Study - Epidemiology (A) Investigate the trend in the incidence of chronic renal failure, and to establish, the frequency of the various causes of chronic renal failure, the stage of renal failure, and the method of treatment (B) Investigate the trend in the incidence of diabetic nephropathy as a cause of chronic renal failure and obtain an idea of the demographic characteristics of patients suffering from diabetic nephropathy. (C) Investigate and perform a retrospective record analysis of a group of diabetic patients and determine the rate and extent of diabetic nephropathy, and obtain an idea of the demographic characteristics of these patients.