Troubleshooting non-infectious peritoneal dialysis issues.

Peritoneal dialysis is commonly preformed by patients and their caregivers in the home, in nursing homes, and in both acute and rehabilitation hospitals. The success of the therapy requires that the nurse overseeing the care of the patient on peritoneal dialysis in the acute, sub-acute, and chronic settings has the skills and knowledge to identify specific non-infectious issues, choose an appropriate and effective intervention activity, document the findings and outcomes, and educate the patient to assist in the resolution of the non-infectious issues, and avoid future recurrence. This article reviews the most common non-infectious complications that occur in patients on peritoneal dialysis and discusses an organized clinical process to troubleshoot the issues and achieve the desired clinical outcomes.