Better Oral Hygiene Habits Are Associated With a Lower Incidence of Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis

Ther Apher Dial. 2019 Apr;23(2):187-194. doi: 10.1111/1744-9987.12757. Epub 2018 Oct 24.

Abstract

Some peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis cases are thought to be caused by the pathogens in the oral cavity; however, the relationship between peritonitis and oral hygiene habits is unclear. In this study, we retrospectively examined the relationship between oral hygiene habits and peritonitis in patients who agreed to a questionnaire survey. Of the 75 patients, 37 patients developed PD-related peritonitis during the observation period. Peritonitis-free survival was significantly higher in patients who spent more time on oral hygiene daily and in patients who replaced their toothbrush more frequently (P < 0.05). According to multivariable analysis, increased daily oral hygiene duration and more frequent toothbrush replacement were associated with a significantly (P < 0.01) lower risk for peritonitis (hazard ratio [HR] 0.37 [95% CI, 0.18-0.77] and HR 0.35 [95% CI, 0.17-0.70], respectively). In conclusion, PD patients with superior oral hygiene habits showed a lower risk for PD-related peritonitis.

Keywords: Oral care; Oral hygiene habits; Peritoneal dialysis; Peritonitis.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Oral Hygiene / standards*
  • Peritoneal Dialysis / adverse effects*
  • Peritoneal Dialysis / methods
  • Peritonitis / epidemiology
  • Peritonitis / etiology
  • Peritonitis / prevention & control*
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Time Factors
  • Toothbrushing / instrumentation*
  • Toothbrushing / statistics & numerical data