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Fungal Peritonitis Mandatory Catheter Removal — ESENeph MCQ

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HardPeritoneal DialysisFungal Peritonitis Mandatory Catheter RemovalESENeph

Candida parapsilosis is identified in peritoneal-dialysis effluent from a patient with cloudy dialysate. Symptoms improve after 48 hours of systemic antifungal therapy. What should happen next?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: ARemove the PD catheter and continue systemic antifungal therapy after removal

A is correct. ISPD recommends immediate catheter removal when fungi are identified in PD effluent, even when symptoms begin to improve on antifungal therapy. Fungal biofilm makes catheter salvage unreliable and delayed removal is associated with poor outcomes. An appropriate systemic antifungal is continued for at least two weeks after removal, guided by organism and susceptibility, with temporary haemodialysis usually required. Transfer-set exchange alone does not remove the infected intraperitoneal surface. Later return to PD is considered only after complete clinical resolution and an appropriate interval.

Reference: ISPD peritonitis guideline recommendations: 2022 update: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08968608221080586