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Showing papers on "Peritoneal dialysis published in 2005"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Peritonitis remains a leading complication of peritoneal dialysis, and sometimes is associated with death of the patient, and the PD community continues to focus attention on prevention and treatment of PD-related infections.
Abstract: Peritonitis remains a leading complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). It contributes to technique failure and hospitalization, and sometimes is associated with death of the patient. Severe and prolonged peritonitis can lead to peritoneal membrane failure. Therefore, the PD community continues to focus attention on prevention and treatment of PD-related infections.

662 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The causes and consequences of the reverse epidemiology of obesity in dialysis patients can enhance insights into similar paradoxes observed for other conventional risk factors, such as blood pressure and serum cholesterol and homocysteine concentrations, and in other populations such as those with CHF, advanced age, cancer, or AIDS.

576 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Once-daily oral cinacalcet was effective in rapidly and safely reducing PTH, Ca x P, calcium, and phosphorus levels in patients who received HD or PD and significantly reduced serum calcium, phosphorus, and Ca X P levels compared with control treatment.
Abstract: Management of secondary hyperparathyroidism is challenging with traditional therapy. The calcimimetic cinacalcet HCl acts on the calcium-sensing receptor to increase its sensitivity to calcium, thereby reducing parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion. This phase 3, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study evaluated the efficacy and safety of cinacalcet in hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients with PTH > or =300 pg/ml despite traditional therapy. A total of 395 patients received once-daily oral cinacalcet (260 HD, 34 PD) or placebo (89 HD, 12 PD) titrated from 30 to 180 mg to achieve a target intact PTH (iPTH) level of or =30% reduction in iPTH from baseline (65 versus 13%), and proportion of patients with > or =20, > or =40, or > or =50% reduction from baseline. Cinacalcet had comparable efficacy in HD and PD patients; 50% of PD patients achieved a mean iPTH < or =300 pg/ml. Cinacalcet also significantly reduced serum calcium, phosphorus, and Ca x P levels compared with control treatment. The most common side effects, nausea and vomiting, were usually mild to moderate in severity and transient. Once-daily oral cinacalcet was effective in rapidly and safely reducing PTH, Ca x P, calcium, and phosphorus levels in patients who received HD or PD. Cinacalcet offers a new therapeutic option for controlling secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis.

407 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A national prospective cohort study of patients undergoing incident dialysis found statistically significantly higher risks for death among patients receiving peritoneal dialysis compared with those receiving hemodialysis during the second, but not first, year of treatment.
Abstract: Background The influence of type of dialysis on survival of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is controversial. Objective To compare risk for death among patients with ESRD who receive peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting 81 dialysis clinics in 19 U.S. states. Patients 1041 patients starting dialysis (274 patients receiving peritoneal dialysis and 767 patients receiving hemodialysis) at baseline. Measurements Patients were followed for up to 7 years and censored at transplantation or loss to follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression stratified by clinic was used to compare the risk for death with peritoneal dialysis versus hemodialysis. Results Twenty-five percent of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis and 5% of hemodialysis patients switched type of dialysis. After adjustment, the risk for death did not differ between patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis and those undergoing hemodialysis during the first year (relative hazard, 1.39 [95% CI, 0.64 to 3.06]), but the risk became significantly higher among those undergoing peritoneal dialysis in the second year (relative hazard, 2.34 [CI, 1.19 to 4.59]). After stratification, the survival rate was no different for patients who had the highest propensity of being initially treated with peritoneal dialysis. Results were consistent with adjustment based on a propensity score model and in sensitivity analyses that used as-treated models and models in which switches in type of dialysis were treated as treatment failures. Results were similar but stronger in analyses that were restricted to patients who were treated only in clinics offering both types of dialysis. Limitations Patients were not randomly assigned to their initial type of dialysis. Also, more patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis than hemodialysis switched type of dialysis over time, and the reason for switching was often a consequence of the technique. Conclusions The risk for death in patients with ESRD undergoing dialysis depends on dialysis type. Further studies are needed to evaluate a possible survival benefit of a timely change from peritoneal dialysis to hemodialysis.

308 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Improvements in and reimbursement for pre-ESRD education could provide an equal and timely access for all medically suitable patients to various RRTs.

302 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Septicemia appears to be an important, potentially preventable, cardiovascular risk factor in dialysis patients and is associated with subsequent death.

292 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The etiologic agent is a definite marker of peritonitis-related mortality but gender, age, residual renal function, inflammation (s-CRP), malnutrition, and depression are other significant correlates of this outcome.
Abstract: Peritonitis is a well-known cause of mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. We carried out a retrospective study to disclose the clinical spectrum and risk profile of peritonitis-related mortality. We analyzed 693 episodes of infectious peritonitis suffered by 565 patients (follow-up 1149 patient-years). Death was the final outcome in 41 cases (5.9% of episodes), peritonitis being directly implicated in 15.2% of the global mortality and 68.5% of the infectious mortality observed. In 41.5% of patients with peritonitis-related mortality, the immediate cause of death was a cardiovascular event. Highest mortality rates corresponded to fungal (27.5%), enteric (19.3%), and Staphylococcus aureus (15.2%) peritonitis. Multivariate analysis disclosed thatthe baseline risk of peritonitis-related mortality was significantly higher in female [relative risk (RR) 2.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24-4.09, p = 0.02], older (RR 1.10/year, CI 1.06-1.14, p < 0.0005), and malnourished patients (RR 2.51, CI 1.21-5.23, p = 0.01) with high serum C-reactive protein (s-CRP) levels (RR 4.04, CI 1.45-11.32, p = 0.008) and a low glomerular filtration rate (RR 0.75 per mL/minute, CI 0.64 -0.87, p < 0.0005). Analysis of risk after a single episode of peritonitis and/or subanalysis restricted to peritonitis caused by more aggressive micro-organisms disclosed that overall comorbidity [odds ratio (OR) 1.21, CI 1.05-1.71, p = 0.005], depression (OR 2.35, CI 1.14-4.84, p = 0.02), and time on PD at the time of the event (OR 1.02/month, CI 1.00-1.03, p = 0.02) were other predictors of mortality. In summary, the etiologic agent is a definite marker of peritonitis-related mortality but gender, age, residual renal function, inflammation (s-CRP), malnutrition, and depression are other significant correlates of this outcome. Most of these risk factors are common to cardiovascular and peritonitis-related mortality, which may explain the high incidence of cardiovascular event as the immediate cause of death in patients with peritonitis-related mortality.

268 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A two-phase educational intervention can increase the proportion of patients who intend to initiate dialysis with self-care dialysis.

258 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Gentamicin cream applied daily to the peritoneal catheter exit site reduced P. aeruginosa and other Gram-negative catheter infections and reduced peritonitis by 35%, particularly Gram- negative organisms.
Abstract: Infection is the Achilles heel of peritoneal dialysis. Exit site mupirocin prevents Staphylococcus aureus peritoneal dialysis (PD) infections but does not reduce Pseudomonas aeruginosa or other Gram-negative infections, which are associated with considerable morbidity and sometimes death. Patients from three centers (53% incident to PD and 47% prevalent) were randomized in a double-blinded manner to daily mupirocin or gentamicin cream to the catheter exit site. Infections were tracked prospectively by organism and expressed as episodes per dialysis-year at risk. A total of 133 patients were randomized, 67 to gentamicin and 66 to mupirocin cream. Catheter infection rates were 0.23/yr with gentamicin cream versus 0.54/yr with mupirocin (P = 0.005). Time to first catheter infection was longer using gentamicin (P = 0.03). There were no P. aeruginosa catheter infections using gentamicin compared with 0.11/yr using mupirocin (P < 0.003). S. aureus exit site infections were infrequent in both groups (0.06 and 0.08/yr; P = 0.44). Peritonitis rates were 0.34/yr versus 0.52/yr (P = 0.03), with a striking decrease in Gram-negative peritonitis (0.02/yr versus 0.15/yr; P = 0.003) using gentamicin compared with mupirocin cream, respectively. Gentamicin use was a significant predictor of lower peritonitis rates (relative risk, 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.29 to 0.93; P < 0.03), controlling for center and incident versus prevalent patients. Gentamicin cream applied daily to the peritoneal catheter exit site reduced P. aeruginosa and other Gram-negative catheter infections and reduced peritonitis by 35%, particularly Gram-negative organisms. Gentamicin cream was as effective as mupirocin in preventing S. aureus infections. Daily gentamicin cream at the exit site should be the prophylaxis of choice for PD patients.

219 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In time-dependent survival analysis, the presence of plasma phosphorus and Ca x P product concentrations greater than K/DOQI targets increased all-cause mortality risk in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients.

218 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: There is substantial variability in catheter outcomes between centers, and this variability is more closely correlated with operator and center characteristics than with catheter design.
Abstract: ObjectiveThis review updates the 1998 International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) recommendations for peritoneal dialysis catheters and exit-site practices (Gokal R, et al. Peritoneal cath...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The data suggest that handgrip strength may be used in conjunction with serum albumin as a nutrition-monitoring tool in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis and provides important prognostic information independent of other covariates, including CRP and serumalbumin.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Peritoneal transport rate is a highly significant risk factor for both mortality and death-censored technique failure in the Australian and New Zealand incident PD patient populations.
Abstract: Although early studies observed that peritoneal membrane transport characteristics were determinants of morbidity and mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, more recent investigations, such as the Ademex trial, have refuted these findings. The aim of this study was to determine whether baseline peritoneal transport status predicted subsequent survival in Australian and New Zealand PD patients. The study included all adult patients in Australia and New Zealand who commenced PD between April 1, 1999, and March 31, 2004, and had a peritoneal equilibration test (PET) performed within 6 mo of PD commencement. Times to death and death-censored technique failure were examined by Kaplan-Meier analyses and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. PET measurements were available in 3702 (72%) of the 5170 individuals who began PD treatment in Australia or New Zealand during the study period. In these patients, high transporter status was found to be a significant, independent predictor of death-censored technique failure (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02 to 1.49; P = 0.03) and mortality (AHR 1.34; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.79, P = 0.02) compared with low-average transport status. High-average transport class was also associated with mortality (AHR 1.21; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.48; P = 0.047) but not death-censored technique failure (AHR 1.04; 95% CI 0.90 to 1.21) compared with low-average transport status. When transport status was alternatively analyzed as a continuous variable, dialysate:plasma creatinine ratio at 4 h was independently predictive of both death-censored technique failure (AHR 1.07; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.295; P = 0.031) and death (AHR 1.09; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.373; P = 0.036 per 0.1 change in dialysate:plasma creatinine). Peritoneal transport rate is a highly significant risk factor for both mortality and death-censored technique failure in the Australian and New Zealand incident PD patient populations.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Anuric automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) patients experience significant detrimental changes in membrane function over a relatively short time period, and glucose appears to enhance these changes independent of residual renal function.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This comprehensive update on the management of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis incorporates insights gained from recently published findings and the accumulated experience of the authors.
Abstract: This comprehensive update on the management of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis incorporates insights gained from recently published findings and the accumulated experience of the authors. Aspects covered include diagnosis, risk factors and predictive markers, treatment, and prevention, including criteria for withdrawal from peritoneal dialysis.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: EPS is a serious, life-threatening complication of CAPD, and careful monitoring by CT scans of the peritoneal membrane in patients beyond 5 years, and early catheter removal in patients with peritoneAL thickening should be considered for long-term CAPD patients.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This study, for the first time, suggests that treatment with a novel biocompatible PDF with low GDP concentration and neutral pH confers a significant survival advantage.
Abstract: BackgroundIn recent years, laboratory and clinical research has suggested the need for peritoneal dialysis fluids (PDFs) that are more biocompatible than the conventional PDFs commonly used today. ...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review discusses medical treatment of EPS and includes an overview of the clinical features and diagnostic aspects of the condition.
Abstract: Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is recognized as a serious complication of continuous peritoneal dialysis. A preliminary diagnosis of EPSis usually based on clinical signs and symptoms, which commonly include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, abdominal fullness, an abdominal mass, bowel obstruction, and radiologic findings, including abdominal roentgenogram, contrast studies, ultrasound studies, and computed tomography. The diagnosis is confirmed by laparoscopy or laparotomy showing the characteristic gross thickening of the peritoneum enclosing some or all of the small intestine in a cocoon of opaque tissue. A variety of therapeutic approaches to EPS have been reported. This review discusses medical treatment of EPS and includes an overview of the clinical features and diagnostic aspects of the condition.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Surgical treatment of 50 patients with EPS produced successful outcomes in all but 2 patients (96% success), and these patients should be actively treated by surgeons who genuinely understand this pathologic condition.
Abstract: ⇔ Background: Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a serious complication of long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD). The mortality rate for EPS has been high, primarily because of complications related to bowel obstruction. Also, therapeutic guidelines for EPS have not yet been established. In our hospital, favorable postoperative results were obtained in 50 patients whose EPS was treated surgically. ⇔ Patients: All patients had chronic glomerulonephritis as the underlying kidney disease. All had undergone PD for between 29 months and 220 months (average: 113.9 months). During the course of PD, 3 patients developed EPS and were subsequently transferred to hemodialysis (HD). The other 47 patients (94.0%) developed EPS after discontinuation of PD. The reasons for transfer to HD were inadequate ultrafiltration (26 patients), bacterial peritonitis (16 patients), hypoalbuminemia (2 patients), renal transplantation (3 patients), and occurrence of EPS (3 patients). ⇔ Intervention: At laparotomy, a definitive diagnosis of EPS was established in all patients by the presence of clumped intestine cocooned with a dense sclerotic membrane. In all cases, the small intestine was completely released by ablation of the capsules, resulting in resolution of the bowel obstruction symptoms. In 5 patients, the large intestine was ablated solely at the region of the sigmoid colon. The operating time varied from 3 hours to 18 hours (average: 6.9 hours). Oral food intake was initiated 5 ‐ 60 days (average: 10.2 days) after surgery. ⇔ Results: Perforation of the small intestine was detected postoperatively in 2 patients, who died 26 days and 37 days after surgery. The remaining 48 patients were followed for between 9 months and 107 months (average: 34.6 months). During follow-up, 6 ‐ 12 months after the initial surgery, 4 patients experienced a recurrence of bowel obstruction symptoms that required a second laparotomy with enterolysis. Excluding the 2 patients with fatal outcomes, 46 patients (96%) experienced complete relief from bowel obstruction symptoms. The remaining 2 patients continued to experience mild, sub-acute bowel obstruction symptoms that could be successfully controlled solely by diet. ⇔ Conclusions: Surgical treatment of 50 patients with EPS produced successful outcomes in all but 2 patients (96% success). Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis should be actively treated by surgeons who genuinely understand this pathologic condition.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results confirm the susceptibility of diabetic CAPD and hypoalbuminemic patients to peritonitis, and highlight the role of further studies in reducing this complication.
Abstract: ObjectiveWe studied the clinical characteristics that influence the risk of dialysis-related peritonitis complication in incident Chinese patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialys...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Catheter mechanical dysfunction attributable to the surgical technique can nearly be eliminated through adjunctive procedures made possible only by a laparoscopic approach.
Abstract: Both medical benefits to the patient and financial incentives to the health care system exist to increase the use of peritoneal dialysis as renal replacement therapy. Providing long-term peritoneal access free of mechanical dysfunction continues to represent a major challenge to the success of this modality. Variable outcomes result from the lack of standard implantation methodology and failure to address persistent problems associated with current implantation techniques. This prospective case study compared noninfectious procedural complications of three approaches to establish peritoneal dialysis access. The groups consisted of 63 catheters implanted by traditional open dissection, 78 catheters implanted by basic laparoscopy without associated interventions, and 200 catheters implanted by advanced laparoscopic methods including rectus sheath tunneling, selective prophylactic omentopexy, and selective adhesiolysis. Mechanical flow obstruction, the major outcome indicator, followed only 1 of 200 (0.5%) implantation procedures in the advanced group and was significantly better (P < 0.0001) than the open dissection (17.5%) and basic laparoscopic (12.5%) groups. A low rate of pericannular leaks (1.3-2%) was not different for the three groups. One pericannular hernia occurred in the open group. Catheter mechanical dysfunction attributable to the surgical technique can nearly be eliminated through adjunctive procedures made possible only by a laparoscopic approach.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Using multivariable Cox regression analysis, serum albumin, left ventricular mass index and residual GFR were significant factors associated with mortality in patients with GFR > or =1 ml/min per 1.73 m2, while increasing age, atherosclerotic vascular disease and higher C-reactive protein were associated with greater mortality in anuric PD patients.
Abstract: Background. Residual renal function (RRF) is an important predictor of outcome in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Whether results from survival studies in dialysis patients with RRF can also be extrapolated to anuric patients remains uncertain. In this observational study, we examined the characteristics of PD patients with a residual glomerular filtration rate (GFR) � 1 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 vs those with complete anuria and differentiated factors that predict outcome in the two groups of patients. Methods. Two hundred and forty-six continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients (39% being completely anuric) were recruited from a single regional dialysis centre. Assessments of haemodynamic, echocardiographic, nutritional and biochemical parameters and indices of dialysis adequacy were done at study baseline and were related to outcomes. Results. During the prospective follow-up of 30.8±13.8 (mean±SD) months, 28.0% of patients with residual GFR � 1 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 vs 50.5% of anuric patients had died (P ¼ 0.005). The overall 2 year patient survival was 89.7 and 65.0% for patients with GFR � 1 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 and anuric patients, respectively (P ¼ 0.0012). Compared with patients with GFR � 1 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , anuric patients were dialysed for longer (P<0.001), were more anaemic (P<0.005), and had higher calcium–phosphorus product (P<0.01), higher C-reactive protein (P<0.001), lower serum albumin (P<0.05), greater prevalence of malnutrition according to subjective global assessment (P<0.05) and more severe cardiac hypertrophy (P<0.001) at baseline. Using multivariable Cox regression analysis, serum albumin, left ventricular mass index and residual GFR were significant factors associated with mortality in patients with GFR � 1 ml/ min per 1.73 m 2 , while increasing age, atherosclerotic vascular disease and higher C-reactive protein were associated with greater mortality in anuric PD patients. Conclusions. Our study demonstrates more adverse cardiovascular, inflammatory, nutritional and metabolic profiles as well as higher mortality in anuric PD patients. Furthermore, factors associated with mortality are also not equivalent for PD patients with and without RRF, suggesting that patients with and without RRF are qualitatively different.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Compared with CCPD, CAPD is associated with a slightly but significantly lower risk for development of a first peritonitis episode after 9 months of peritoneal dialysis therapy.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: RRT is justifiable for liver transplant candidates with ARF and postoperative mortality is increased compared with all other liver transplant recipients, but is acceptable considering the near-universal mortality without transplantation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Investigating the possible role of fluid overload in the development of malnutrition in maintenance peritoneal dialysis patients suggested there is a strong association between fluid status and nutritional status.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Support is provided for making the choice of PD more widely available as an option to patients initiating chronic dialysis therapy and for patients' expectations regarding treatment and their attitudes toward management of their health to shape patient-reported experience on dialysis.
Abstract: Background. It has been suggested that there are no large differences in the quality of life of incident patients starting on haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD), but few studies have addressed this issue. Methods. Association of modality with incident patients’ health status and quality of life scores was investigated with propensity score (PS) analysis and also with traditional multivariable regression analyses. We compared patient reported health status and quality of life scores after 1 year of therapy in 455 HD and 413 PD patients who participated in a national study, stayed on the same modality and had complete socio-demographic and clinical information needed to create a PS indicating their expected probability of starting on PD. Results. One year scores on the majority of health status and quality of life measures were not significantly different for HD and PD patients within propensity-matched quintiles. PD patients’ scores were higher than HD patients’ scores on effects of kidney disease, burden of kidney disease, staff encouragement and satisfaction with care in some quintiles, and traditional regression analyses confirmed that dialysis modality was associated with patients’ scores on these variables. Conclusions. This study provides support for making the choice of PD more widely available as an option to patients initiating chronic dialysis therapy. Patient lifestyle opportunities associated with use of PD, a home-based and self-care therapy, may also apply to home-based HD or in-centre self-care HD. Patients’ expectations regarding treatment and their attitudes toward management of their health may interact with treatment modality to shape patient-reported experience on dialysis; this is an important focus for future studies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: There is no reason to reduce arbitrarily dialysis dose, particularly dialysis treatment time in HD patients treated three times weekly, and daily HD represents a very promising tool for improving dialysis outcomes and quality of life, although its impact on patient survival has not yet been proven definitively.
Abstract: Background. From the beginning of the dialysis era, the issue of optimal dialysis dose and frequency has been a central topic in the delivery of dialysis treatment. Methods. We undertook a discussion to achieve a consensus on key points relating to dialysis dose and frequency, focusing on the relationships with clinical and patient outcomes. Results. Traditionally, dialysis adequacy has been quantified referring to the kinetics of urea, taken as a paradigm of all uraemic toxins, and applying the principles of pharmacokinetics using either single- or double-pool variable volume models. An index of dialysis dose is the fractional clearance of urea, which is commonly expressed as Kt/V. It can be calculated from blood urea concentration and haemodialysis (HD) parameters, according to the respective urea kinetic model or by means of simplified formulas. Similar principles are applicable to peritoneal dialysis (PD), where weekly Kt/V and creatinine clearance are used. Recommended minimal targets for dialysis adequacy have been defined by both American and European guidelines (DOQI and European Best Practice Guidelines, respectively). The question of how to improve the severe outcome of dialysis patients has recently come back to the fore, since the results of two recent randomized controlled trials led to the conclusion that, in thrice weekly HD and in PD, increasing the dialysis dose well above the minimum requirements of current American guidelines did not improve patient outcome. Daily HD (defined as a minimum of six HD sessions per week), in the form of either short daytime HD or long slow nocturnal HD, is regarded as a possibility to improve dialysis patient outcome. The results of the studies published so far indicate excellent results with respect to all outcomes analysed: optimal blood pressure control, regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and amelioration of left ventricular performance, improvement of renal anaemia, optimal hyperphosphataemia control, improvement of nutritional status, reduction in oxidative stress indices and improvement in quality of life. The basis for these beneficial effects is thought to be a more physiological clearance of solutes and water, with reduced pre- and post-HD solute concentrations and interdialytic oscillation, compared with traditional HD. Apart from concerns regarding reimbursement and organizational issues, no serious adverse effects have been described with daily HD. However, the evidence accumulated is limited mainly to retrospective cohorts, with small patient numbers and no adequate controls in most instances. Therefore, large prospective studies with adequate controls are required to make daily HD accepted by reimbursing authorities and patients. Conclusions. Given the available observational and interventional body of evidence, there is no reason to reduce arbitrarily dialysis dose, particularly dialysis treatment time in HD patients treated three times weekly. Daily HD represents a very promising tool for improving dialysis outcomes and quality of life, although its impact on patient survival has not yet been proven definitively.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The survival of anuric peritoneal dialysis patients is in line with expectations based on the duration of dialysis, and the risk factors for death are the same as in the dialysis population as a whole.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is observed that CKD and ESRD patients with anemia, hypoalbuminemia and higher serum CRP and ferritin concentrations should be evaluated for depression after potential somatic causes have been eliminated.
Abstract: Background: Depression, which is the most common psychological disorder among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is commonly associated with poor oral intake which can ag

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: There was a large difference between patients who have received a functioning graft following kidney transplant versus the alternative methods of renal replacement therapy, that is, peritoneal dialysis and haemodialysis.
Abstract: Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the health related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with kidney failure who had received renal transplants compared to those receiving haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or were waiting to start dialysis. Research design and methods: The study was conducted at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. HRQOL was measured using the EQ‐5D, SF‐36 and the Kidney Disease Quality of life questionnaire (KDQOL). Patients with kidney failure were identified from the renal unit departmental database and were surveyed by postal questionnaire or during their treatment. Results: Of 1251 people surveyed, 416 valid returns were received, a response rate of 33%. For renal transplant patients the mean EQ‐5Dindex was 0.712 (SD 0.272), significantly higher than those in the other treatment groups (haemodialysis mean = 0.443 (SD 317), p < 0.001; peritoneal dialysis mean = 0.569 (SD 329), p < 0.001). This difference remained after controlling for age and co-morbidity. With the exception of pain, the SF‐36 showed significantly higher scores across all domains for transplant patients compared to both dialysis groups. From the KDQOL there were significantly lower scores compared with the transplant patients for both groups of dialysis patients for the effects and burden of kidney disease and general symptoms and problems. However, overall health scores were significantly higher for dialysis patients compared with transplant patients. Conclusion: Kidney failure has a high cost in terms of health related quality of life. There was a large difference between patients who have received a functioning graft following kidney transplant versus the alternative methods of renal replacement therapy, that is, peritoneal dialysis and haemodialysis. Kidney transplant should be the treatment of choice, and every effort should be made to increase the availability of kidneys for transplantation.