The effect of exit-site antibacterial honey versus nasal mupirocin prophylaxis on the microbiology and outcomes of peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis and exit-site infections: A sub-study of the Honeypot trial

Background: The HONEYPOT study recently reported that daily exit-site application of antibacterial honey was not superior to nasal mupirocin prophylaxis for preventing overall peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related infection. This paper reports a secondary outcome analysis of the HONEYPOT study with respect to exit-site infection (ESI) and peritonitis microbiology, infectious hospitalization and techniquefailure. Methods: A total of 371 PD patients were randomized to daily exit-site application of antibacterial honey plus usual exit-site care (N = 186) or intranasal mupirocin prophylaxis (in nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriers only) plus usual exit-site care (control, N = 185). Groups were compared on rates of organism-specific ESI and peritonitis, peritonitis-and infection-associated hospitalization, and technique failure (PD withdrawal). Results: The mean peritonitis rates in the honey and control groups were 0.41 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32-0.50) and 0.41 (95% CI 0.33-0.49) episodes per patient-year, respectively (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.01, 95% CI 0.75-1.35). When specific causative organisms were examined, no differences were observed between the groups for gram-positive (IRR 0.99, 95% CI 0.66-1.49), gram-negative (IRR 0.71, 95% CI 0.39-1.29), culture-negative (IRR 2.01, 95% CI 0.91-4.42), or polymicrobial peritonitis (IRR 1.08, 95% CI 0.36-3.20). Exit-site infection rates were 0.37 (95% CI 0.28-0.45) and 0.33 (95% CI 0.26-0.40) episodes per patient-year for the honey and control groups, respectively (IRR 1.12, 95% CI 0.81-1.53). No significant differences were observed between the groups for gram-positive (IRR 1.10, 95% CI 0.70-1.72), gram-negative (IRR: 0.85, 95% CI 0.46-1.58), culture-negative (IRR 1.88, 95% CI 0.67-5.29), or polymicrobial ESI (IRR 1.00, 95% CI 0.40-2.54). Times to first peritonitis-associated and first infection-associated hospitalization were similar in the honey and control groups. The rates of technique failure (PD withdrawal) due to PD-related infection were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusion: Compared with standard nasal mupirocin prophylaxis, daily topical exit-site application of antibacterial honey resulted in comparable rates of organism-specific peritonitis and ESI, infection-associated hospitalization, and infection-associated technique failure in PD patients.