Table 2. List of variables/outcome measures meta-analyzed and the definitions stated by the authors.
| Reference | Peritonitis | Exit-site Infection | Migration | Catheter obstruction | Leakage | Intervention/revision | Catheter removal | Catheter survival |
| Li [39] | Abdominal pain,cloudy effluent with whiteblood cell count higherthan 100/mm3 and/or polymorphonuclear neutrophils larger than 50%, and identification of microorganisms | Not described | transient or prolonged, catheter malfunction during follow up and confirmed by abdominal KUB films | – | Fluid extravasation from the catheterexit-site related to dialysate infusion | – | – | ‘catheter dysfunction-free’ |
| Jwo [14] | Not described | Not described | Not described | – | exit-site leak, wound leak, or extra-abdominaldialysate outflow | – | Inadequate dialysis, peritonitis, hydrocele, hydrothorax, change to HD | catheter survival excluding patients with catheter dropout due to clearly unrelated causes such as renal transplantation, renal recovery, or death from unrelated underlying diseases |
| Tsimoyiannis [30] | Not described | – | Not described | – | Not described | – | Peritonitis | Not described |
| Wright [31] | Early: <6 weeks post-op Late: >6 weeks post-op | Not described | – | Not described | Not described | – | (pseudomonas) peritonitis, ultra filtration failure, patient death | See ‘removal’ |
| Gajjar [32] | Not described | Not described | – | Not described | Early: occur within30 days of insertion,Late: occur after 30days of insertion | Not described | – | – |
| Crabtree [33] | – | – | – | Not described | Not described | – | – | – |
| Soontrapornchai [34] | Not described | Not described | Radiological confirmation | Not described | Not described | – | – | calculated from the day of insertion to the day of revision or removal |
| Ögünç [35] | Early: <4 weeks post-op Late: >4 weeks post-op | Positive microbiological ofan organism from peritoneal fluid on ether Gram stainingor culture | – | Due to omental wrapping and/orfibrin clotting | Not described | Pericatheter leak,chronic tunnel infection,chronic exit-siteinfection | Relapse or resistant peritonitis, Successful transplantation, Persistent dialysate leak, exit-site infection, patient’s choice, treatment failure | ‘Catheter failure free’ |
| Draganic [36] | positive microbiological identification of an organism from peritoneal fluid on either Gram staining or culture | any surrounding inflammation which required additional dressings or antibiotics | – | Not described | – | – | Exit-site infection, peritonitis | – |
| Batey [37] | – | – | – | – | Not described | Migration, Occlusion | Peritonitis, infected hematoma, oersistent scrotal swelling | – |
| Lund [38] | Not described | – | Not described | – | – | ‘Displacement’ | ‘Displacement’ | – |
KUB = kidneys, ureters and bladder.