Spectrum of organisms causing peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis patients--experience from Bangladesh.

In the present study, organisms responsible for peritonitis and their sensitivity to antibiotics were evaluated in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in Bangladesh. We collected PD effluent from 100 peritonitis cases and sent samples to the laboratory for Gram stain and cytology. Cultures used direct inoculation of PD fluid in plate media and broth media simultaneously. Organisms were isolated by Gram stain in 60% of cases. Cell counts showed a mean of 700 (range: 90-7000) white blood cells per milliliter Plate media yielded 33% growth, and broth media, 67% growth. In continuous ambulatory PD, 77% samples were culture-positive; the organisms isolated were gram-positive bacteria in 41% of cases, gram-negative bacteria in 52%, and fungus in 7%. In intermittent PD, only 43%…