The success of peritoneal dialysis (PD) as renal replacement therapy depends upon a safe, functional, and durable catheter access to the peritoneal cavity provided in a timely fashion. Catheter complications often lead to catheter loss and contribute to technique failure. With improvements in prevention and treatment of peritonitis, the impact of catheter-related infections and mechanical problems on PD technique survival has become more apparent.

Guideline committees under the sponsorship of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) periodically update best practices for optimal peritoneal access (1–4). Recent advances in our understanding of the key aspects of providing successful placement and maintenance of peritoneal catheters compels the current update. Assessment of evidence for guidelines recommendations is made using a modification of the Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system for classification of the level of evidence and grade of recommendations (5). Where scientific evidence is not available, recommendations are based on a consensus opinion. The bibliography supporting the recommendations is not intended to be comprehensive. When there are multiple similar reports on the same subject, the committee prefers to cite the more recent publications.

Within each recommendation, strength is indicated as Level 1 (we recommend), Level 2 (we suggest), or not graded, and the quality of the supporting evidence is shown as A (high quality), B (moderate quality), C (low quality), or D (very low quality). The recommendations are not meant to be implemented indiscriminately in every instance but adapted as necessary according to local circumstances and the clinical situation. While many of the general principles presented here may be applied to pediatric patients, the focus of these guidelines is on adults. Clinicians who take care of pediatric PD patients should refer to the latest ISPD guidelines covering this patient group (6).