We compared a group of 60 insulin-dependent diabetics maintained on CAPD with 60 nondiabetic matched controls to determine if the diabetic patients were at increased risk for catheter-related infections. Although catheter infection rates were 17% higher in the diabetics (1.4/year versus 1.2/year in nondiabetics), time to first catheter infection was not different between the groups (p = 0.6). Rates of peritonitis, peritonitis associated with catheter infection, multiple catheter infection, and catheter removal were also similar among the diabetics and controls. S. aureus caused 52% (42/81) of the catheter infections in the diabetics and 60% (35/58) in the controls. More catheter infections in the nondiabetics versus the diabetics lacked drainage or resulted in sterile cultures (17/75 versus 7/88 respectively, p less than or equal to 0.01), but the significance of this finding is uncertain. In conclusion, we did not find insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus to be a statistically significant risk factor for catheter-related infections.