Netilmicin in the treatment of clinical peritonitis in chronic renal failure patients managed by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.
The efficacy and systemic absorption of netilmicin following intraperitoneal instillation were studied during ten episodes of clinical peritonitis in chronic renal failure patients managed by CAPD. Episodes were unselected for sensitivity of microorganism in vitro to netilmicin. Five subjects studied as inpatients had sequential dialysate and frequent plasma samples assayed for netilimicin up to 110 hours of therapy. Five patients who managed their peritonitis at home had dialysate and plasma netilmicin levels estimated at two and six days. In a dose of 10 mg/l, netilmicin was curative in the majority of patients (70%). Toxic blood levels were not found. Experience with netilmicin compared favourably with that observed in eight consecutive episodes of outpatient peritonitis managed with intraperitoneal cefamandole, the first line treatment for CAPD peritonitis in our unit (75% cure). No side effects were recorded with either agent. We conclude that netilmicin can be used effectively in the majority of microbiologically undifferentiated episodes of CAPD peritonitis, including in the home setting.