Peritoneal Dialysis fluid

Description: 
Peritoneal dialysis utilises a membrane inside the body as a filter during dialysis as a way of removing waste and excess water from the body of patients with chronic renal failure. Microbiology will perform microscopy, isolation, identification and susceptibility of any organism likely to be pathogenic. Microscopy results are available within 4 hours of receipt of sample, negative culture results will be issued at 48 hrs, positive cultures 2-3 days.
Clinical details: 
A complication from peritoneal dialysis is infection characteristed by fever, abdominal discomfort and pain. Peritonitis can be defined as presence of a cloudy peritoneal dialysate containing >100 WBC per µl, presence of organisms in fluid as seen on Gram stain or isolated on culture. Cloudy dialysis may be due to other non-infective causes, it is important to exclude infection.
Synonyms or keywords: 
CAPD, PDF
Department: 
Infection Sciences Department
Location: 
St Thomas' Hospital
Sample type and Volume required: 
Peritoneal dialysis fluid. Please send 20 ml in a plain sterile universal container.
Turnaround time: 
Cell count and Gram stain same day (within 4 hrs), Culture result 2 - 3 days. Significant Gram stain and culture results are telephoned to the ward or clinical team by Microbiology Clinical staff.
Criteria for acceptance / rejections of sample
Storage and transport: 
Place labelled sample in a sealed sample bag and send to Central Specimen Reception (CSR).
Contacts:
Infection Sciences Department at St Thomas' Hospital
020 7188 8008
St Thomas' Hospital
North Wing - 5th Floor
Westminster Bridge Road
London SE1 7EH
Core opening hours: Monday-Friday 0900-1730


For clinical advice or interpretation of results, please contact the laboratory in the first instance.
Laboratory: 
Microbiology Laboratory at St Thomas'

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Last updated: 27/11/2017