What Can We Learn from Registry Data on Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes?

Registries, collecting observational data, can be of great value in our understanding of clinical questions, since they reflect 'real practice in a real world'. This paper provides an overview of what registry data from different regions of the world have taught us on survival outcomes of peritoneal dialysis patients compared to hemodialysis patients. The majority of the comparative studies show that patient survival on peritoneal dialysis is either similar or even better than on hemodialysis, at least for the first few years after starting dialysis. These results support a policy of peritoneal dialysis as the first dialysis modality in a program of integral care. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel