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Background: The scientific literature shows, that caring parents of children with chronic kidney disease experience profound changes of life-world in terms of their welfare and their health. The different experiences that by the child's illness influenced the life-world of the parents in the two stages of life "living with peritoneal dialysis" and "living after kidney transplantation" have not yet been described in the German literature., Methodology: To study the changing life-world in the two stages of life "living with peritoneal dialysis" and "living after kidney transplantation" of the child, a single case study was carried out. The mother was interviewed using a problem-centered-interview. The analysis of the interview was based on Mayring's technique of content analysis (2002)., Results: The category system shows that mother's life-world is influenced by different experiences in both stages of life. Subjectively, the mother saw her greatest challenge during the "life with peritoneal dialysis" in following the hygienic rules and the prevention of peritation" was her fear that the donor kidney would be rejected by her child., Implications: The results of this study correspond to the results of previous studies in the English literature. Healthcare professionals, including nurses can use the results of this study to build up a professional relationship, for empathic support and for improvement of parental well-being. Further qualitative research should focus on healthcare professionals' view regarding the experiences and needs of caring parents of children with chronic kidney disease in order to compare with parents' view.

The aim of this investigation was to gain a retrospective impression of the mood of children undergoing peritoneal dialysis and the mood of their families during the course of their children's disease. The study was carried out at the department of pediatric nephrology (Medical University of Vienna) using structured questionnaires. Interestingly, both the families undergoing treatment and families who had completed treatment considered themselves equally, or even more, happy, harmonic and open than families with healthy children. Retrospectively, intimate relationships experienced by the majority of families were exceptionally close and positive. These findings do not support the subjective evaluation of staff and are contrary to the objective measurability of financial and emotional investment, as well as investment of time, by affected families.

Peritoneal dialysis treatment is as efficient as hemodialysis if properly administered; therefore, psychological aspects of peritoneal dialysis must be taken into account if this is to be the best treatment for patients suffering from terminal renal disease. This paper presents these aspects from the view of logotherapy and existential analysis. The description of the change in viewing patients from a medical aspect is followed by an outline of basic logotherapy and existential analysis. The consequences to patients and their current problems are described, together with theoretical basics and practical guidelines for communication with patients.

Dialysis patients, waiting for kidney transplantation, were asked about their quality of life. Data from 1027 persons have been collected. Compared to a population sample by the "Nottingham Health Profile" (NHP), dialysis patients showed double the frequency of symptoms--only for the subscale "pain" no significant difference could be recognised. Duration of dialysis treatment reduces the quality of life considerably: increasing troubles have been observed through different quality of life scales. Age shows less important influence concerning "pain" and "physical mobility", even a decrease of symptoms in elder patients has been demonstrated by NHP-subscales for "emotional reaction" and "social isolation". Gender, education, kind of disease and dialysis treatment, and the fact of former transplantations had only marginal influence on some different dimensions of life quality. The study demonstrates in which way the patients perception of life quality could be operational and integrated in analysis and evaluation of therapeutic procedures.

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is, next to conventional home dialysis, a world-wide method of treating chronic renal failure. This is the report of clinical experience of 34 CAPD patients who, from October 1978 to the end of 1983, had undergone 642 treatment months. The incidence of peritonitis after introduction of a new connector system in 1983 was reduced to 1 per 46 CAPD treatment months. In only 7 patients was it necessary to discontinue CAPD for reasons connected with the type of dialysis. No patient requested discontinuance of CAPD. Suitable bag and tube materials, adequate space, and well trained personnel are decisive for a successful CAPD programme, in addition to careful selection of patients. The latter aims at optimal patient motivation for the treatment method which, in principle, is more cost effective than home dialysis. In so far as patients fulfil the requirements for home dialysis they can be excellently rehabilitated.