Student Presenter(s): Mallika Chauhan
Faculty Mentor: Michael Hadjiargyrou
Department: Biological and Chemical Sciences
School/College: College of Arts and Sciences, Long Island

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between peritonitis rates and whether peritoneal dialysis was taught in-center or in-home for 120 patients in a single center located in Southern Georgia.

Materials and Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis for data that was accumulated over a period of seven years. Eligible subjects were categorized into two groups: one group's dialysis administrator received peritoneal dialysis training in their respective homes and the other group's dialysis administrator was trained in-center.

The initial statistical analysis was conducted using a chi-squared or Fischer's test for qualitative data and Welch's t-test for quantitative data. Further investigation was done for significant variables within baseline values by utilizing logistic regression methods.

Results: There was no evident correlation between peritonitis rate and location of training (P=0.352). Only one variable, the amount of peritonitis episodes, was identified as having a correlation to location of training (P<0.050). Yet, all regression models used returned insignificant r-squared values.

Summary: Considering the use of limited data, the results can be deemed misrepresentative of the general peritoneal dialysis patient population. This study finds that location of training, in-home versus in-center, may not be an accurate gauge of peritonitis risk in certain populations.