Factors affecting outcomes in patients reaching end-stage kidney disease worldwide: differences in access to renal replacement therapy, modality use, and haemodialysis practices

Estimating the Loss in Expectation of Life and Relative Survival Rate among Hemodialysis Patients in Iran

BACKGROUND

Information regarding the prognosis and burden of diseases can be used by policymakers to determine competing health priorities. We aimed to assess the Relative Survival Rate (RSR) and loss of expectation of life (LEL) to evaluate the prognosis and burden of diseases in Hemodialysis (HD) patients.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

We recruited 648 HD patients referred to three referral centers in Kerman City, Iran, from 2008 to 2019. RSR, was defined as the ratio of the observed and the expected survival rates of general population for persons of the same age and sex as patients in the current study. LEL was determined as the difference between corresponding life expectancies (LE). The extended Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify variables associated with the outcome.

RESULTS

Variables associated with outcome were diabetic status and age. In the 5th year of the follow-up study, the overall RSR was 0.57. In general, for HD patients, the estimation of LE and LEL was 22.6 and 12.36 year, respectively.

CONCLUSION

HD patients, especially older patients, showed a very poor prognosis, with a large amount of lost life expectancy. Therefore, they need more care and attention from health authorities. It is suggested to estimate the cost of eliminating the risk factors causing kidney diseases.

Inflammation and Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agent Response in Hemodialysis Patients: A Self-matched Longitudinal Study of Anemia Management in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS)

Rationale & Objective

Previous studies of inflammation and anemia management in hemodialysis (HD) patients may be biased due to patient differences. We used a self-matched longitudinal design to test whether new inflammation, defined as an acute increase in C-reactive protein (CRP) level, reduces hemoglobin response to erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) treatment.

Study Design

Self-matched longitudinal design.

Setting & Participants

3,568 new inflammation events, defined as CRP level > 10 mg/L following a 3-month period with CRP level ≤ 5 mg/L, were identified from 12,389 HD patients in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) phases 4 to 6 (2009-2018) in 10 countries in which CRP is routinely measured.

Predictor

“After” (vs “before”) observing a high CRP level.

Outcomes

Within-patient changes in hemoglobin level, ESA dose, and ESA hyporesponsiveness (hemoglobin < 10 g/dL and ESA dose > 6,000 [Japan] or >8,000 [Europe] U/wk).

Analytical Approach

Linear mixed models and modified Poisson regression.

Results

Comparing before with after periods, mean hemoglobin level decreased from 11.2 to 10.9 g/dL (adjusted mean change, −0.26 g/dL), while mean ESA dose increased from 6,320 to 6,960 U/wk (adjusted relative change, 8.4%). The prevalence of ESA hyporesponsiveness increased from 7.6% to 12.3%. Both the unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios of ESA hyporesponsiveness were 1.68 (95% CI, 1.48-1.91). These associations were consistent in sensitivity analyses varying CRP thresholds and were stronger when the CRP level increase was sustained over the 3-month after period.

Limitations

Residual confounding by unmeasured time-varying risk factors for ESA hyporesponsiveness.

Conclusions

In the 3 months after HD patients experienced an increase in CRP levels, hemoglobin levels declined quickly, ESA doses increased, and the prevalence of ESA hyporesponsiveness increased appreciably. Routine CRP measurement could identify inflammation as a cause of worsened anemia. In turn, these findings speak to a potentially important role for anemia therapies that are less susceptible to the effects of inflammation.

The current and future landscape of dialysis

The development of dialysis by early pioneers such as Willem Kolff and Belding Scribner set in motion several dramatic changes in the epidemiology, economics and ethical frameworks for the treatment of kidney failure. However, despite a rapid expansion in the provision of dialysis — particularly haemodialysis and most notably in high-income countries (HICs) — the rate of true patient-centred innovation has slowed. Current trends are particularly concerning from a global perspective: current costs are not sustainable, even for HICs, and globally, most people who develop kidney failure forego treatment, resulting in millions of deaths every year. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new approaches and dialysis modalities that are cost-effective, accessible and offer improved patient outcomes. Nephrology researchers are increasingly engaging with patients to determine their priorities for meaningful outcomes that should be used to measure progress. The overarching message from this engagement is that while patients value longevity, reducing symptom burden and achieving maximal functional and social rehabilitation are prioritized more highly. In response, patients, payors, regulators and health-care systems are increasingly demanding improved value, which can only come about through true patient-centred innovation that supports high-quality, high-value care. Substantial efforts are now underway to support requisite transformative changes. These efforts need to be catalysed, promoted and fostered through international collaboration and harmonization.

Dialysis is a life-saving therapy; however, costs of dialysis are high, access is inequitable and outcomes are inadequate. This Review describes the current landscape of dialysis therapy from an epidemiological, economic, ethical and patient-centred framework, and describes initiatives that are aimed at stimulating innovations in the field to one that supports high-quality, high-value care.

The global dialysis population is growing rapidly, especially in low-income and middle-income countries; however, worldwide, a substantial number of people lack access to kidney replacement therapy, and millions of people die of kidney failure each year, often without supportive care.

The costs of dialysis care are high and will likely continue to rise as a result of increased life expectancy and improved therapies for causes of kidney failure such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.

Patients on dialysis continue to bear a high burden of disease, shortened life expectancy and report a high symptom burden and a low health-related quality of life.

Patient-focused research has identified fatigue, insomnia, cramps, depression, anxiety and frustration as key symptoms contributing to unsatisfactory outcomes for patients on dialysis.

Initiatives to transform dialysis outcomes for patients require both top-down efforts (that is, efforts that promote incentives based on systems level policy, regulations, macroeconomic and organizational changes) and bottom-up efforts (that is, patient-led and patient-centred advocacy efforts as well as efforts led by individual teams of innovators).

Patients, payors, regulators and health-care systems increasingly demand improved value in dialysis care, which can only come about through true patient-centred innovation that supports high-quality, high-value care.

Physical activity and posttraumatic growth in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis: A prospective study

This study used a prospective design to examine the association between self-reported physical activity and posttraumatic growth (PTG) over a 1-year period among 150 patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis. Transport-related, household, and leisure-time physical activity were positively associated with PTG at baseline and follow-up. Total physical activity could predict higher levels of PTG at follow-up, after controlling for baseline PTG and other covariates. The findings indicate that daily physical activity could be a modifiable behavioral factor associated with PTG among patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis. Further study is needed using a randomized controlled design and objective measures of physical activity.

Antifungal susceptibility of oral isolates of Candida species from chronic kidney disease patients on chronic dialysis

Chronic renal disease patients under chronic dialysis (CRDD) have a multifactorial immunological deterioration with an increased risk of Candida infections. Incidence of Candida infections is increasing. Choice of suitable antifungal agents is limited due to the resistance of some species to several antifungals. Aim of the present study was to identify the distribution and antifungal susceptibility patterns of oral isolated Candida species from infected and colonized patients, as well as to investigate the risk factors for oral infection in patients on dialysis. Cross-sectional study, approved by the institutional bioethics committees was performed in CRDD patients. Demographic, clinic data, and oral mucosa samples were obtained. Infection diagnosis was established clinically and confirmed with exfoliative cytology, each sample was plated on CHROMagar Candida and incubated at 36°C for 2 days. Yeast species were identified by carbohydrate assimilation ID 32C AUX system and the apiweb database. For the antifungal susceptibility test, the M44 A-3 method (CLSI) using fluconazole (FCZ), miconazole (MCZ), nystatin (NYS), and voriconazole (VCZ). Study included 119 participants, the main cause of CRD was nephropathy due to DM2 (58%), and three-fourths of the patients were under hemodialysis. Candida prevalence was 56.3% of 67 colonized or infected patients, 88 isolates were obtained. Principal identified species were C. albicans (51.1%), C. glabrata (25%), and C. tropicalis (14.8%). C. glabrata showed a reduced response to FCZ in 50% of isolates and C. albicans had a reduced response in 16% of the isolates. Antifungal agent with the least efficacious response or with the lowest susceptibility in the isolates of these patients was MCZ, followed by VCZ and FCZ, whereas NYS induced the best antifungal response.

Incidence, prevalence and crude survival of patients starting dialysis in Portugal (2010-16): analysis of the National Health System individual registry

Background

The Portuguese Society of Nephrology (PSN) reported that Portugal has one of the highest incidences of dialysis in Europe. However, this claim was based on aggregated data supplied by dialysis providers, hampering comparisons between countries. In 2009, an individual registry of patients starting dialysis was set up by the Portuguese Ministry of Health. We analysed individual data of patients starting dialysis from January 2010 until December 2016.

Methods

Demography, starting treatment day, modality, regional distribution and outcomes, such as death, recovery of renal function, transfer to renal transplantation, peritoneal dialysis or conservative management, were extracted. Incidence, prevalence and survival analysis were calculated and compared with the PSN registry.

Results

Out of 19 190 registrations, 16 775 were incident patients (61.8% men). Yearly incidence of renal replacement therapy was 250, 248, 229, 239, 230, 231 and 244 per million population (p.m.p.) for 2010 to 2016, compared with 235, 224, 218, 230, 234, 225 and 239 p.m.p. reported by the PSN registry. On the other hand, prevalence increased from 998 p.m.p. in 2010 to 1286 p.m.p. in 2016, compared with 1010 p.m.p. in 2010 increasing to 1203 p.m.p. in 2016 from the PSN registry. The regions of Alentejo (122.9 p.m.p.) and the the Centre (160.8 p.m.p.) had the lowest regional incidence, while Lisbon had the highest (386 p.m.p. in 2016). Unadjusted survival analysis revealed that 93.5% of the patients were alive on the 91st day, whereas 85.2 and 78.3% were alive at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Crude survival at 7 years was 40%.

Conclusions

For the first time, an individual registry of patients starting dialysis in Portugal was subject to analysis and added new information about long-term survival and regional differences in the incidence and prevalence of renal replacement therapy. We were able to confirm that Portugal has one of the world's highest incidences and prevalences of dialysis. We also demonstrate, for the first time, a striking regional difference in the incidence of dialysis and an excellent early and long-term survival of patients on dialysis. These results compare well with other European countries in terms of the dialysis efficiency.

Self-care actions for the maintenance of the arteriovenous fistula: An integrative review

Objective

To identify self-care actions for the maintenance of arteriovenous fistula of renal patients.

Method

An integrative review study was conducted and literature were searched in Medline/PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, LILACS, BDENF and SciELO Library databases using the descriptors chronic renal insufficiency, arteriovenous fistula, self-care, and knowledge. The inclusion criteria were that the documents be written in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, full text available, published in the last five years, and that they address the research question. Reflection articles, theses, dissertations, editorials of non-scientific journals, and research studies that did not follow the necessary methodological rigor were excluded. Data were analyzed with the IRAMUTEQ software.

Results

Fifteen articles were selected and comprised the final sample. Seven classes of self-care actions emerged from the text segments analysis and grouped into three categories: 1) Self-care actions that maintain the arteriovenous fistula; 2) Self-care actions for the prevention and the monitoring of complications with arteriovenous fistula; 3) Self-care actions directed at the perioperative period of arteriovenous fistula preparation.

Conclusion

The results allowed us to identify important care for the maintenance of arteriovenous fistula functionality. The self-care actions identified in this study can guide a nursing care policy for implementation with protocols that help identify problems related to self-care actions and, thus, subsidize the development of actions aimed at the renal patient. However, more studies with high levels of evidence that identify self-care actions with arteriovenous fistula and the factors involved in its implementation are needed.

Cathepsin S and Protease-Activated Receptor-2 Drive Alloimmunity and Immune Regulation in Kidney Allograft Rejection

Alloantigen presentation is an essential process in acute allorejection. In this context, we speculated on a pathogenic role of cathepsin S (Cat-S), a cysteine protease known to promote antigenic peptide loading into MHC class II and to activate protease-activated receptor (PAR)-2 on intrarenal microvascular endothelial and tubular epithelial cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing and immunostaining of human kidney allografts confirmed Cat-S expression in intrarenal mononuclear phagocytes. In vitro, Cat-S inhibition suppressed CD4 + T cell lymphocyte activation in a mixed lymphocyte assay. In vivo, we employed a mouse model of kidney transplantation that showed preemptive Cat-S inhibition significantly protected allografts from tubulitis and intimal arteritis. To determine the contribution of PAR-2 activation, first, Balb/c donor kidneys were transplanted into Balb/c recipient mice without signs of rejection at day 10. In contrast, kidneys from C57BL/6J donor mice revealed severe intimal arteritis, tubulitis, interstitial inflammation, and glomerulitis. Kidneys from Par2-deficient C57BL/6J mice revealed partial protection from tubulitis and lower intrarenal expression levels for Fasl, Tnfa, Ccl5, and Ccr5. Together, we conclude that Cat-S and PAR-2 contribute to immune dysregulation and kidney allograft rejection, possibly involving Cat-S-mediated activation of PAR-2 on recipient parenchymal cells in the allograft.

Diabetic Kidney Disease in Older People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Improving Prevention and Treatment Options

Age-related metabolic and renal changes predispose older people to an increased risk of diabetes mellitus and diabetic kidney disease, respectively. As the prevalence of the ageing population is increasing, because of increased life expectancy, the prevalence of older people with diabetic kidney disease is likely to increase. Diabetic kidney disease is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes and increased costs to healthcare systems. The management includes promotion of a healthy lifestyle and control of cardiovascular risk factors such as hyperglycaemia, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Older people are a heterogeneous group of people from a community-living fit and independent person to a fully dependent individual residing in a care home. Therefore, management in this age group should be based on a patient's functional level adopting tight metabolic control in the fit individual and relaxed targets in the frail person. However, despite the maximum available therapy, a significant number of patients with diabetic kidney disease still progress to renal failure and experience adverse cardiac outcomes. Therefore, future research is required to explore methods of early detection of diabetic kidney disease and to investigate novel therapeutic interventions to further improve the outcomes.

Application of explainable ensemble artificial intelligence model to categorization of hemodialysis-patient and treatment using nationwide-real-world data in Japan

BACKGROUND

Although dialysis patients are at a high risk of death, it is difficult for medical practitioners to simultaneously evaluate many inter-related risk factors. In this study, we evaluated the characteristics of hemodialysis patients using machine learning model, and its usefulness for screening hemodialysis patients at a high risk of one-year death using the nation-wide database of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The patients were separated into two datasets (n = 39,930, 39,930, respectively). We categorized hemodialysis patients in Japan into new clusters generated by the K-means clustering method using the development dataset. The association between a cluster and the risk of death was evaluated using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Then, we developed an ensemble model composed of the clusters and support vector machine models in the model development phase, and compared the accuracy of the prediction of mortality between the machine learning models in the model validation phase.

RESULTS

Average age of the subjects was 65.7±12.2 years; 32.7% had diabetes mellitus. The five clusters clearly distinguished the groups on the basis of their characteristics: Cluster 1, young male, and chronic glomerulonephritis; Cluster 2, female, and chronic glomerulonephritis; Cluster 3, diabetes mellitus; Cluster 4, elderly and nephrosclerosis; Cluster 5, elderly and protein energy wasting. These clusters were associated with the risk of death; Cluster 5 compared with Cluster 1, hazard ratio 8.86 (95% CI 7.68, 10.21). The accuracy of the ensemble model for the prediction of 1-year death was 0.948 and higher than those of logistic regression model (0.938), support vector machine model (0.937), and deep learning model (0.936).

CONCLUSIONS

The clusters clearly categorized patient on their characteristics, and reflected their prognosis. Our real-world-data-based machine learning system is applicable to identifying high-risk hemodialysis patients in clinical settings, and has a strong potential to guide treatments and improve their prognosis.

Arteriovenous access in hemodialysis: A multidisciplinary perspective for future solutions

In hemodialysis, vascular access is a key issue. The preferred access is an arteriovenous fistula on the non-dominant lower arm. If the natural vessels are insufficient for such access, the insertion of a synthetic vascular graft between artery and vein is an option to construct an arteriovenous shunt for punctures. In emergency situations and especially in elderly with narrow and atherosclerotic vessels, a cuffed double-lumen catheter is placed in a larger vein for chronic use. The latter option constitutes a greater risk for infections while arteriovenous fistula and arteriovenous shunt can fail due to stenosis, thrombosis, or infections. This review will recapitulate the vast and interdisciplinary scenario that characterizes hemodialysis vascular access creation and function, since adequate access management must be based on knowledge of the state of the art and on future perspectives. We also discuss recent developments to improve arteriovenous fistula creation and patency, the blood compatibility of arteriovenous shunt, needs to avoid infections, and potential development of tissue engineering applications in hemodialysis vascular access. The ultimate goal is to spread more knowledge in a critical area of medicine that is importantly affecting medical costs of renal replacement therapies and patients’ quality of life.

Quality of life improved for patients after starting dialysis but is impaired, initially, for their partners: a multi-centre, longitudinal study

Background

Quality of life (QOL) is important to patients with end stage renal disease and their partners. Despite the first 12 weeks being a critical time in the treatment pathway, limited research exists which examines how the transition onto dialysis impacts QOL. In this study we measured QOL in patients and their partners at pre-dialysis and over the first 12 weeks on dialysis to investigate QOL during this crucial period.

Methods

Patients and their partners, recruited from 10 renal units in England, completed questionnaires at pre-dialysis (n = 166 participants, 83 couples), 6 weeks (n = 90 participants, 45 couples) and 12 weeks (n = 78, 39 couples) after starting dialysis. On each occasion participants completed a QOL questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Multilevel modelling accommodated the nested structure of couples with repeated measures within participants. Three-level random intercept models estimated changes in WHOQOL general QOL and its four domains (Physical, Psychological, Social and Environment). Two-level random intercept models assessed the relationship between baseline clinical and socio-demographic variables with changes in general QOL.

Results

Patients reported positive changes in general QOL from pre-dialysis to 6 weeks (β = 0.42, p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.19, 0.65) and from pre-dialysis to 12 weeks (β = 0.47, p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.24, 0.71). Partners’ general QOL decreased significantly from pre-dialysis to 6 weeks (β = − 0.24, p = 0.04, 95% CI -0.47, − 0.01) but returned to its original level at 12 weeks. Patients reported improvements in the physical domain between pre-dialysis and 12 weeks (β = 6.56, p < 0.004, 95% CI 2.10, 11.03). No other domains changed significantly in patients or partners. Only in patients were there significant associations between moderator variables and general QOL. High comorbidity risk level and diabetes were associated with poorer QOL at pre-dialysis whereas being female and having an arteriovenous fistula were linked with improvements in general QOL.

Conclusions

Patients reported significant improvements in their general and physical QOL after starting dialysis. Partners’ general QOL worsened after patients started dialysis but improved by 12 weeks. Both patients and partners may benefit from additional educational and counselling services in the lead up to, and immediately after starting dialysis, which could facilitate the transition onto dialysis and improve QOL in both.

Study registration

This study was adopted on the NIHR Clinical Research Network (UK). The details of this study are registered on the Research Registry website (www.researchregistry.com). The identifier for this study is researchregistry2574.

Listening to music during arteriovenous fistula surgery alleviates anxiety: A randomized single-blind clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Both end-stage renal disease and being wait-listed for a kidney transplant are anxiety-causing situations. Wait-listed patients usually require arteriovenous fistula surgery for dialysis access. This procedure is performed under local anesthesia. We investigated the effects of music on the anxiety, perceived pain and satisfaction levels of patients who underwent fistula surgery.

AIM

To investigate the effect of music therapy on anxiety levels and perceived pain of patients undergoing fistula surgery.

METHODS

Patients who were on a waiting list for kidney transplants and scheduled for fistula surgery were randomized to control and music groups. The music group patients listened to music throughout the fistula surgery. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was performed to assess anxiety, additionally visual analog scale was used to evaluate perceived pain, willingness to repeat the procedure and patient satisfaction. Demographic features, comorbidities, surgical history, basic surgical data (location of fistula creation, duration of surgery, incision length) and intra-operative hemodynamic parameters were recorded by an investigator blinded to the study group. An additional trait anxiety assessment was performed following the surgery.

RESULTS

There was a total of 55 patients included in the study. However, 14 patients did not fulfill the criteria due to requirement of sedation during surgery or uncompleted questionnaires. The remaining 41 patients were included in the analysis. There were 26 males and 15 females. The control and music groups consisted of 20 and 21 patients, respectively. With regard to basic surgical and demographic data, there was no difference between the groups. Overall patient satisfaction was significantly higher and intra-operative heart rate and blood pressure were significantly lower in the music group (P < 0.05). Postoperative state anxiety levels were significantly lower in the music group.

CONCLUSION

Music therapy can be a complimentary treatment for patients undergoing fistula surgery. It can reduce anxiety and perceived pain, improve intraoperative hemodynamic parameters and enhance treatment satisfaction, thus may contribute to better compliance of the patients.

Oral health-related quality of life in adult patients with end-stage kidney diseases undergoing renal replacement therapy - a systematic review

Background

The oral health of patients undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT) is insufficient. Poor oral health and its components can affect the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of these patients. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the OHRQoL of adult patients under RRT.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed using the terms: dialysis OR “renal disease” OR kidney OR “renal failure” OR “kidney transplantation” OR hemodialysis OR “peritoneal dialysis” OR “renal replacement therapy” AND “oral health-related quality of life”, complemented by manual search. Clinical studies including adults (age ≥ 18 years) that were published between 2009 and 2019 were included in qualitative analysis.

Results

Twelve out of 20 studies were included in the qualitative analysis. The majority (11/12 studies) included patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD), with a sample size between 47 and 512 participants. Two studies included patients after kidney transplantation. Only one-quarter of the investigations included a healthy control group. The overall OHRQoL was found to be reduced. The majority of studies found relationships between OHRQoL and different oral health parameters. Furthermore, several relationships between OHRQoL and general quality of life as well as disease related parameters including age, gender, diabetes, blood parameters and dialysis duration were found. OHRQoL subscales psychological/psychosocial impairment and pain were predominantly affected.

Conclusions

Patients under RRT suffer from a reduced OHRQoL, which is potentially influenced by oral health and disease related parameters. Interdisciplinary dental care is needed and should consider both physical and psychosocial issues.

Metacarpal bone mineral density by radiographic absorptiometry predicts fracture risk in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis

The 2017 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline update suggests bone mineral density testing to assess fracture risk in patients with chronic kidney disease, but dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is not available in most dialysis facilities. Radiographic absorptiometry is an inexpensive and quick method for evaluating bone mineral density. Therefore, we analyzed a historical cohort of 456 maintenance hemodialysis patients to determine whether metacarpal bone mineral density measured by digital image processing, a computer-assisted radiographic absorptiometry technique, predicts fracture risk. At baseline, the median metacarpal bone mineral density T-score was -2.05 (interquartile range, -3.35 to -0.99). During a mean follow-up of 5.3 years, there were 16 clinical fractures and 11 asymptomatic vertebral fractures as estimated by height loss. Metacarpal bone mineral density T-score was significantly lower in patients who sustained a clinical fracture than in those remaining event-free. Decreasing metacarpal bone mineral density T-score was significantly associated with increased risk of clinical fracture (hazard ratio, 1.41 per 1 standard deviation decrease in bone mineral density T-score [95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 1.83]; the hazard ratio for lowest versus highest tertile was 4.86 [1.03 to 22.92]. Similar associations were observed between metacarpal bone mineral density T-score and vertebral fracture or any fracture. The results were robust to different analysis strategies and were consistent across different subgroups. Thus, radiographic absorptiometry could be a useful tool for primary screening of hemodialysis patients at high risk for fracture. Additional studies are required to determine the predictive ability of radiographic absorptiometry techniques compared to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or other established methods.

A call for harmonization of European kidney care: dialysis reimbursement and distribution of kidney replacement therapies

Background

We compare reimbursement for haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) in European countries to assess the impact on government healthcare budgets. We discuss strategies to reduce costs by promoting sustainable dialysis and kidney transplantation.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional survey among nephrologists conducted online July–December 2016. European countries were categorized by tertiles of gross domestic product per capita (GDP). Reimbursement data were matched to kidney replacement therapy (KRT) data.

Results

The prevalence per million population of patients being treated with long-term dialysis was not significantly different across tertiles of GDP (P = 0.22). The percentage of PD increased with GDP across tertiles (4.9, 8.2, 13.4%; P &lt; 0.001). The HD-to-PD reimbursement ratio was higher in countries with the highest tertile of GDP (0.7, 1.0 versus 1.7; P = 0.007). Home HD was mainly reimbursed in countries with the highest tertile of GDP (15, 15 versus 69%; P = 0.005). The percentage of public health expenditure for reimbursement of dialysis decreased across tertiles of GDP (3.3, 1.5, 0.7%; P &lt; 0.001). Transplantation as a proportion of all KRT increased across tertiles of GDP (18.5, 39.5, 56.0%; P &lt; 0.001).

Conclusions

In Europe, dialysis has a disproportionately high impact on public health expenditure, especially in countries with a lower GDP. In these countries, the cost difference between PD and HD is smaller, and home dialysis and transplantation are less frequently provided than in countries with a higher GDP. In-depth evaluation and analysis of influential economic and political measures are needed to steer optimized reimbursement strategies for KRT.

Analysis of factors for post–percutaneous transluminal angioplasty primary patency rate in hemodialysis vascular access

Background:

Although percutaneous transluminal angioplasty has been established as a first-line therapy for access failure in dialysis, there are few reports on primary patency after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. We investigated factors associated with primary patency following the first percutaneous transluminal angioplasty performed after vascular access construction in patients with arteriovenous fistula, including blood flow volume before and after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and previously reported factors.

Methods:

We used medical records at six dialysis centers to retrospectively identify and analyze prognostic factors for primary patency after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in 159 patients with arteriovenous fistula who underwent initial percutaneous transluminal angioplasty after vascular access construction.

Results:

Multivariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazard model showed that primary patency after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in patients with arteriovenous fistula was significantly associated with lesion length (hazard ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–3.07; P = 0.045), and blood flow volume after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.60–0.84; P < 0.001). When blood flow volume after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was classified into three categories, risks of outcome events defining the end of primary patency after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty were significantly lower for 400–630 mL/min (hazard ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.21–0.68; P = 0.001) and >630 mL/min (hazard ratio, 0.16; 95% confidence interval, 0.06–0.40; P < 0.001) compared with <400 mL/min.

Conclusion:

Our study showed that blood flow volume after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is an important prognostic factor for primary patency after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in patients with arteriovenous fistula.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Home Dialysis Patients Compared to In-Center Hemodialysis Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE

Dialysis patients judge health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as an essential outcome. Remarkably, little is known about HRQoL differences between home dialysis and in-center hemodialysis (HD) patients worldwide.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

SETTING & STUDY POPULATIONS

Search strategies were performed on the Cochrane Library, Pubmed, and EMBASE databases between 2007 and 2019. Home dialysis was defined as both peritoneal dialysis and home HD.

SELECTION CRITERIA FOR STUDIES

Randomized controlled trials and observational studies that compared HRQoL in home dialysis patients versus in-center HD patients.

DATA EXTRACTION

The data extracted by 2 authors included HRQoL scores of different questionnaires, dialysis modality, and subcontinent.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH

Data were pooled using a random-effects model and results were expressed as standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% CIs. Heterogeneity was explored using subgroup analyses.

RESULTS

Forty-six articles reporting on 41 study populations were identified. Most studies were cross-sectional in design (90%), conducted on peritoneal dialysis patients (95%), and used the 12-item or 36-item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaires (83%). More than half the studies showed moderate or high risk of bias. Pooled analysis of 4,158 home dialysis patients and 7,854 in-center HD patients showed marginally better physical HRQoL scores in home dialysis patients compared with in-center HD patients (SMD, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.24), although heterogeneity was high (I 2>80%). In a subgroup analysis, Western European home dialysis patients had higher physical HRQoL scores (SMD, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.61), while home dialysis patients from Latin America had lower physical scores (SMD, -0.20; 95% CI, -0.28 to -0.12). Mental HRQoL showed no difference in all analyses.

LIMITATIONS

No randomized controlled trials were found and high heterogeneity among studies existed.

CONCLUSIONS

Although pooled data showed marginally better physical HRQoL for home dialysis patients, the quality of design of the included studies was poor. Large prospective studies with adequate adjustments for confounders are necessary to establish whether home dialysis results in better HRQoL.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO 95985.

The renal replacement therapy landscape in 2030: reducing the global cardiovascular burden in dialysis patients

Despite the significant progress made in understanding chronic kidney disease and uraemic pathophysiology, use of advanced technology and implementation of new strategies in renal replacement therapy, the clinical outcomes of chronic kidney disease 5 dialysis patients remain suboptimal. Considering residual suboptimal medical needs of short intermittent dialysis, it is our medical duty to revisit standards of dialysis practice and propose new therapeutic options for improving the overall effectiveness of dialysis sessions and reduce the burden of stress induced by the therapy. Several themes arise to address the modifiable components of the therapy that are aimed at mitigating some of the cardiovascular risks in patients with end-stage kidney disease. Among them, five are of utmost importance and include: (i) enhancement of treatment efficiency and continuous monitoring of dialysis performances; (ii) prevention of dialysis-induced stress; (iii) precise handling of sodium and fluid balance; (iv) moving towards heparin-free dialysis; and (v) customizing electrolyte prescriptions. In summary, haemodialysis treatment in 2030 will be substantially more personalized to the patient, with a clear focus on cardioprotection, volume management, arrhythmia surveillance, avoidance of anticoagulation and the development of more dynamic systems to align the fluid and electrolyte needs of the patient on the day of the treatment to their particular circumstances.

MicroRNA-497/fibroblast growth factor-23 axis, a predictive indictor for decreased major adverse cardiac and cerebral event risk in end-stage renal disease patients who underwent continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed at exploring the correlation of microRNA (miR)-497/fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) axis with major adverse cardiac and cerebral event (MACCE) occurrence in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who underwent continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

METHODS

Totally, 360 ESRD patients who underwent CAPD were enrolled. Their plasma samples were collected to detect miR-497 expression by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and FGF-23 level by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All patients were followed up for 36 months, and the occurrence of MACCE during the follow-up was documented.

RESULTS

MiR-497 expression negatively correlated with FGF-23 level in ESRD patients who underwent CAPD (P < .001). The MACCE occurrence rate at 1, 2, and 3-year was 5.6%, 11.9%, and 15.0%, respectively. Furthermore, miR-497/FGF-23 axis high level (P < .001) and miR-497 high expression (P = .034) correlated with reduced accumulating MACCE occurrence, whereas FGF-23 high level (P = .008) correlated with increased accumulating MACCE occurrence. Forward stepwise multivariate Cox's regression disclosed that miR-497/FGF-23 axis high level (P = .008) was an independent predictive factor for lower accumulating MACCE occurrence, whereas age (≥55 years) (P < .001), body mass index (≥21.7 kg/m² ) (P = .006), peritoneal dialysis duration (≥61.0 months) (P < .001), C-reactive protein (≥4.7 mg/L) (P = .001), serum uric acid (≥409.4 μmol/L) (P = .009), β-fibrinogen (≥5.8 mmol/L) (P < .001), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (≥2.7 mmol/L) (P = .003) were independent factors for predicting higher accumulating MACCE occurrence.

CONCLUSION

MiR-497/FGF-23 axis holds clinical significance for predicting attenuated MACCE risk in ESRD patients who underwent CAPD.

The role of kidney transplantation as a component of integrated care for chronic kidney disease

Kidney transplant provides superior outcomes to dialysis as a treatment for end-stage kidney disease. Therefore, it is essential that kidney transplantation be part of an integrated treatment and management plan for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Developing an effective national program of transplantation is challenging because of the requirement for kidney donors and the need for a multidisciplinary team to provide expert care for both donors and recipients. This article outlines the steps necessary to establish a national kidney transplant program, starting with the requirement for effective legislation that provides the legal framework for transplantation whilst protecting organ donors, their families, recipients, and staff and is an essential requirement to combat organ trafficking. The next steps involve capacity building with the development of a multiskilled workforce, the credentialing of transplant centers, and the reporting of outcomes through national or regional registries. Although it is accepted that most transplant programs will begin with living related kidney donation, it is essential to aspire to and develop a deceased donor program. This requires engagement with multiple stakeholders, especially the patients, the general community, intensivists, and health departments. Development of transplant centers should be undertaken in concert with the development of a dialysis program. Both are essential components of integrated care for CKD and both should be viewed as part of the World Health Organization's initiative for universal health coverage. Provisions to cover the costs of treatment for patients need to be developed taking into account the state of development of the overall health framework in each country.

Simultaneous use of oxalate-degrading bacteria and herbal extract to reduce the urinary oxalate in a rat model: A new strategy

Objective:

Urinary stones with oxalate composition can cause kidney failure. Recent findings evidenced that probiotics are effective in reducing oxalate absorption in these subjects based on their high colonic absorption levels at baseline. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the simultaneous use of oxalate-degrading bacteria, Urtica dioica and T. terrestris extract in reducing urinary oxalate.

Materials and Methods:

Anti-urolithiatic activity of Urtica dioica and T. terrestris extract and probiotic by using ethylene glycol induced rat model. In this study, 4 strains of Lactobacillus and 2 strains of Bifidobacterium and also 2 strains of L. paracasei (that showed high power in oxalate degrading in culture media) were used. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n=6). The rats of group-I received normal diet (positive control group) and groups-II (negative control group), III, IV rats received diet containing ethylene glycol (3%) for 30 days. Groups III rats received Urtica dioica and T. terrestris extract. Groups IV rats received extracts + probiotic for 30 days.

Findings:

The results show that the use of herbal extracts (Urtica dioica and T. terrestris) reduced the level of urinary oxalate and other parameters of urine and serum. Also, the accumulation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidney tissue was significantly reduced.

Conclusion:

Considering that the formation of calcium oxalate crystals can cause inflammation and tissue damage in the kidney, the use of herbal extracts with oxalate degrading bacteria can be a new therapeutic approach to preventing the formation of kidney stones.

Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Infection Rates and Outcomes: Results From the Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS)

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE

Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis carries high morbidity for PD patients. Understanding the characteristics and risk factors for peritonitis can guide regional development of prevention strategies. We describe peritonitis rates and the associations of selected facility practices with peritonitis risk among countries participating in the Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS).

STUDY DESIGN

Observational prospective cohort study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

7,051 adult PD patients in 209 facilities across 7 countries (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States).

EXPOSURES

Facility characteristics (census count, facility age, nurse to patient ratio) and selected facility practices (use of automated PD, use of icodextrin or biocompatible PD solutions, antibiotic prophylaxis strategies, duration of PD training).

OUTCOMES

Peritonitis rate (by country, overall and variation across facilities), microbiology patterns.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH

Poisson rate estimation, proportional rate models adjusted for selected patient case-mix variables.

RESULTS

2,272 peritonitis episodes were identified in 7,051 patients (crude rate, 0.28 episodes/patient-year). Facility peritonitis rates were variable within each country and exceeded 0.50/patient-year in 10% of facilities. Overall peritonitis rates, in episodes per patient-year, were 0.40 (95% CI, 0.36-0.46) in Thailand, 0.38 (95% CI, 0.32-0.46) in the United Kingdom, 0.35 (95% CI, 0.30-0.40) in Australia/New Zealand, 0.29 (95% CI, 0.26-0.32) in Canada, 0.27 (95% CI, 0.25-0.30) in Japan, and 0.26 (95% CI, 0.24-0.27) in the United States. The microbiology of peritonitis was similar across countries, except in Thailand, where Gram-negative infections and culture-negative peritonitis were more common. Facility size was positively associated with risk for peritonitis in Japan (rate ratio [RR] per 10 patients, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.09). Lower peritonitis risk was observed in facilities that had higher automated PD use (RR per 10 percentage points greater, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-1.00), facilities that used antibiotics at catheter insertion (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.69-0.99), and facilities with PD training duration of 6 or more (vs <6) days (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.68-0.96). Lower peritonitis risk was seen in facilities that used topical exit-site mupirocin or aminoglycoside ointment, but this association did not achieve conventional levels of statistical significance (RR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.62-1.01).

LIMITATIONS

Sampling variation, selection bias (rate estimates), and residual confounding (associations).

CONCLUSIONS

Important international differences exist in the risk for peritonitis that may result from varied and potentially modifiable treatment practices. These findings may inform future guidelines in potentially setting lower maximally acceptable peritonitis rates.

Dialysis Care and Dialysis Funding in Asia

Asia is the largest and most populated continent in the world, with a high burden of kidney failure. In this Policy Forum article, we explore dialysis care and dialysis funding in 17 countries in Asia, describing conditions in both developed and developing nations across the region. In 13 of the 17 countries surveyed, diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure. Due to great variation in gross domestic product per capita across Asian countries, disparities in the provision of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) exist both within and between countries. A number of Asian nations have satisfactory access to KRT and have comprehensive KRT registries to help inform practices, but some do not, particularly among low- and low-to-middle-income countries. Given these differences, we describe the economic status, burden of kidney failure, and cost of KRT across the different modalities to both governments and patients and how changes in health policy over time affect outcomes. Emerging trends suggest that more affluent nations and those with universal health care or access to insurance have much higher prevalent dialysis and transplantation rates, while in less affluent nations, dialysis access may be limited and when available, provided less frequently than optimal. These trends are also reflected by an association between nephrologist prevalence and individual nations' incomes and a disparity in the number of nephrologists per million population and per thousand KRT patients.

Home Dialysis Is Associated with Lower Costs and Better Survival than Other Modalities: A Population-Based Study in Ontario, Canada

Background:How and where to initiate dialysis are policy challenges with enormous economic and health consequences. Initiating with home hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD) may reduce costs and improve outcomes but evidence is conflicting.Methods:We conducted a population-based study in patients aged ≥ 18 years who initiated chronic dialysis in the province of Ontario, Canada from 2006 to 2014 (N = 12,691) using linked administrative data. Patients were grouped by initial modality: facility HD, facility short daily or slow nocturnal (SD/SN) HD, PD, home HD. We estimated publicly-paid healthcare costs (2015 Canadian dollars; 1 = 0.947 US dollar) and survival, from dialysis initiation to March 2015.Results:By 5 years after dialysis initiation, mean 30-day costs (as-treated) for patients receiving PD and home HD were 50% and 64% lower, respectively, than for facility HD patients ($11,011). Approximately 50% of costs were unrelated to dialysis, reflecting high comorbidity in these patients. With covariate adjustment, mean 5-year cumulative costs were similar for initiators of home HD and PD ($304,178 and $349,338) and higher for facility HD initiators ($410,981). The highest 5-year unadjusted survival was for home HD patients (80%), followed by PD (52%), SD/SN HD (50%), and facility HD (42%).Conclusions:This study in a large cohort over 9 years provides new population-based evidence suggesting that initiating dialysis at home is cost-effective, with lower costs and better survival, than starting with facility HD. Survival differences persisted after adjustment for baseline characteristics but we could not adjust for functional status or severity of comorbidities.

Needs Around Dialysis Treatment from Different Perspectives (NADIP): Results of the Exploratory German Multicenter Survey

BACKGROUND/AIMS

In 2015, approximately 70,000 patients with end-stage renal disease were treated chronically with dialysis in Germany. However, there is only sparse information regarding subjective appreciation of the different aspects of extracorporeal renal replacement therapies. This study was performed to gain insight into the needs and appreciation of services in dialysis centers in Germany including the views not only of the patients but also of the caregivers, physicians, and nurses.

METHODS

A cross-sectional written voluntary questionnaire survey based on the international RAND Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (version 1.3) comprising 510 adult dialysis patients, 274 caregivers, 29 physicians, and 60 nurses in 30 dialysis centers across Germany.

RESULTS

Although patients were mostly satisfied with present treatment options, room for improvement exists. Patients were less critical of services than doctors and nurses. Factors such as trustworthy contact with staff at the centers as well as information exchange with other patients and among caregivers play a significant role in the patients' perception of a high-quality dialysis treatment facility. Therefore, continued cost saving, in particular regarding personnel, may subjectively counteract the objective technical improvements of dialysis.

CONCLUSIONS

High-quality technical standards are essential for successful dialysis therapy; however, additionally, we recommend an array of communicative and social tools employed by all stakeholders to convey and exchange information and also support subjective well-being. This survey represents one of the largest evaluations to date. The data are also of potential international relevance for non-German health management systems.

The Incidence and Associated Factors of Sudden Death in Patients on Hemodialysis: 10-Year Outcome of the Q-Cohort Study

Aim: The incidence of sudden death and its risk factors in patients on hemodialysis remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify the incidence of sudden death and its risk factors in Japanese patients on hemodialysis.

Methods: A total of 3505 patients on hemodialysis aged ≥ 18 years were followed for 10 years. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of each risk factor of sudden death were calculated using a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results: During the 10-year follow-up, 1735 patients died, including 227 (13%) sudden deaths. The incidence rate of sudden death was 9.13 per 1000 person-years. In multivariable-adjusted Cox analysis, male sex (HR 1.67; 95% CI 1.20–2.33), age (HR 1.44; 95% CI 1.26–1.65 per 10-year higher), the presence of diabetes (HR 2.45; 95% CI 1.82–3.29), history of cardiovascular disease (HR 1.85; 95% CI 1.38–2.46), cardiothoracic ratio (HR 1.21; 95% CI 1.07–1.39 per 5% higher), serum C-reactive protein (HR 1.11; 95% CI 1.03–1.20 per 1-mg/dL higher), and serum phosphate (HR 1.15; 95% CI 1.03–1.30 per 1-mg/dL higher) were independent predictors of sudden death. A subgroup analysis stratified by sex or age showed that lower serum corrected calcium levels, not using vitamin D receptor activators in women, and a shorter dialysis session length in men or older people (≥ 65 years) increased the risk for sudden death.

Conclusions: This study clarified the incidence of sudden death and its specific predictors in Japanese patients on hemodialysis.

Predictive value of circulating coagulation related microRNAs expressions for major adverse cardiac and cerebral event risk in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

We aimed to investigate the correlation of coagulation related microRNAs (miRNAs) expressions with major adverse cardiac and cerebral event (MACCE) risk in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

METHODS

198 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients underwent CAPD were consecutively recruited in this study. Clinical characteristics as well as physiological and biochemical indexes were recorded. Peripheral blood was collected after enrollment to separate plasma, and 13 blood coagulation related miRNAs were detected by the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. All patents were followed up for 48 months, and the last follow-up date was 2018/12/31. MACCEs occurred during the follow up were documented, and MACCE-free survival was calculated.

RESULTS

MACCE incidence at 1 year, 2 year, 3 year and 4 year was 2.5, 6.1, 9.1 and 13.1% respectively, and mean MACCE-free survival was 45.2 (95% CI 44.0-46.4) months. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that miR-30e-5p, miR-92a-3p, miR-106a-5p and miR-126-5p high expressions were associated with longer MACCE-survival, while miR-423-5p high expression correlated with shorter MACCE-free survival. Multivariate Cox's regression analysis disclosed that miR-92a-3p, miR-126-5p and miR-652-3p independently predicted longer MACCE-free survival, while miR-423-5p independently predicted reduced MACCE-free survival in CAPD patients.

CONCLUSION

Circulating miR-92a-3p, miR-126-5p, miR-652-3p and miR-423-5p exhibit potential to serve as novel biomarkers for MACCE risk in patients undergoing CAPD.

Current practice in dialysis central venous catheter management: Multi-disciplinary renal team perspectives

AIM

To explore the current practices related to the insertion, management and removal of dialysis central venous catheters (CVCs) used in patients with chronic kidney disease requiring haemodialysis.

METHODS

This qualitative descriptive study involved semi-structured interviews with surgeons, interventional radiologists, renal physicians, dialysis nurses, renal access nurses and renal researchers involved in the care of patients with chronic kidney disease requiring haemodialysis. Data were collected from staff at eight hospitals in six states and territories of Australia. Thirty-eight face-to-face interviews were conducted. A modified five-step qualitative content analysis approach was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

Improved visualization technology and its use by interventional radiologists has steered insertions to specialist teams in specialist locations. This is thought to have decreased risk and improved patient outcomes. Nurses were identified as the professional group responsible for maintaining catheter access integrity, preventing access failure and reducing access-related complications. While best practice was considered important, justifications for variations in practice related to local patient and environment challenges were identified.

CONCLUSION

The interdisciplinary team is central in the insertion, maintenance, removal and education of patients regarding dialysis CVCs. Clinicians temper research-based decision-making about central dialysis access catheter management with knowledge of individual, environmental and patient factors. Strategies to ensure guidelines are appropriately translated for use in a wide variety of settings are necessary for patient safety.

Angiography and phlebography in a hemodialysis population: A retrospective analysis of interventional results

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the reasons and beneficial effects and duration of arteriovenous fistula patency after radiological interventions in arteriovenous fistula. The patients investigated were referred due to arteriovenous fistula access flow problems.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In 174 patients, 522 radiological investigations and endovascular treatments such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty were analyzed, retrospectively. All investigations were performed due to clinical suspicion of impaired arteriovenous fistula function.

RESULTS

Arterial stenosis was significantly more frequent among patients with diabetic nephropathy (p < 0.001) and interstitial nephritis (p < 0.001). According to the venous stenosis, the diagnosis did not affect the frequency (p = 0.22) or the degree (p = 0.39) of stenosis. The degree of stenosis prior to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty correlated significantly with the degree of remaining stenosis after intervention (p < 0.001). Of the 174 patients, 123 (71%) performed a total of 318 investigations including percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. Repeated percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was performed significantly more often in patients with diabetic nephropathy. The median times to the first percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and to the subsequent percutaneous transluminal angioplasties were 9.5 and 5 months, respectively. Arteriovenous fistula in patients with diabetic nephropathy performed similar to most other diagnoses, although performing more percutaneous transluminal angioplasty/patient than most other diagnoses.

CONCLUSION

Many patients could maintain long-term patency of arteriovenous fistula, including those with diabetic nephropathy, with repeated interventions; this motivates a closer follow-up for these patients. Clinically significant stenosis should be dilated as meticulously and as soon as possible. Occlusions of the arteriovenous fistula in most instances can be successfully thrombolyzed or dilated upon early diagnosis.

Independent effect of haemodialysis session frequency and duration on survival in non-indigenous Australians on haemodialysis

BACKGROUND

End-stage kidney disease patients have increased mortality compared to the general population. Haemodialysis (HD) of more frequent and of longer duration has been proposed to improve survival but it remains unclear if this is attributed to increased frequency, duration, or both. We aimed to examine the independent effects of session frequency and duration on mortality in incident HD patients.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was performed using data from the Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry examining non-Indigenous patients aged ≥18 years who initiated HD of ≥3 sessions/week in Australia from 2001 to 2015. Initial dialysis prescription was categorized as session duration >5 h/session compared to ≤5 h/session and session frequency as >3 sessions/week compared to 3 sessions/week. Survival analysis was performed using Cox regression analysis, with multivariable analysis controlling for available covariates.

RESULTS

We examined 16 944 patients of whom 757 (4.5%) received >3 sessions/week and 518 (3.1%) received >5 h/session. After controlling for frequency, patients initiated on HD sessions >5 h had a significantly reduced risk of mortality compared with patients with HD session ≤5 h (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.57; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.44-0.74). In contrast, patients initiated on >3 sessions/week of HD had a similar risk of death when compared with patients on 3 sessions/week of HD (adjusted HR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.84-1.13), after controlling for duration. Limitations include potential residual confounding and changes in exposure over time.

CONCLUSION

Longer duration rather than increased frequency of treatment appears to reduce mortality in HD patients. This has implications for management and requires further study.

Development of model to predict end-stage renal disease after coronary artery bypass grafting: The ACHE score

Because end-stage renal disease (ESRD) increases the risks of morbidity and mortality, early detection and prevention of ESRD is a critical issue in clinical practice. However, no ESRD-prediction models have been developed or validated in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).This is a retrospective multicenter cohort study, recruited between January 2004 and December 2015. A cohort of 3089 patients undergoing CABG in two tertiary referral centers was analyzed to derive a risk-prediction model. The model was developed using Cox proportional hazard analyses, and its performance was assessed using C-statistics. The model was externally validated in an independent cohort of 279 patients.During the median follow-up of 6 years (maximum 13 years), ESRD occurred in 60 patients (2.0%). Through stepwise selection multivariate analyses, the following three variables were finally included in the ESRD-prediction model: postoperative Acute kidney injury, underlying Chronic kidney disease, and the number of antiHypertensive drugs (ACHE score). This model showed good performance in predicting ESRD with the following C-statistics: 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84-0.94) in the development cohort and 0.82 (95% CI 0.60-1.00) in the external validation cohort.The present ESRD-prediction model may be applicable to patients undergoing CABG, with the advantage of simplicity and preciseness.

International and Racial Differences in Mineral and Bone Disorder Markers and Treatments Over the First 5 Years of Hemodialysis in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE

Normalization of parathyroid hormone (PTH), serum calcium, and phosphorus levels may prevent coronary and bone disease in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We describe the trajectory of these mineral bone disorder parameters and treatments during the first 5 years of HD by international region and race.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

33,517 US black/African American, US non-black/African American, European, and Japanese HD patients from the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) phases 4 to 5 (2009-2015).

PREDICTOR

Time since HD initiation.

OUTCOMES

Monthly cross-sections of mineral bone disorder parameters (PTH, serum calcium, and phosphorus) and medications (cinacalcet, active vitamin D, and phosphate binders).

RESULTS

Mean PTH levels declined precipitously during the first 4 months of HD in all 4 groups, then steadily increased during the next 4.5 years in the United States/Europe but not in Japan. 3 years after HD initiation (month 36), mean PTH level was highest in US black/African Americans (496 pg/mL), despite greater prescription of cinacalcet (23%) and active vitamin D (85%), and lowest in Japan (151 pg/mL). Mean serum calcium and phosphorus levels increased during the first 4 months of HD. By month 36, the mean calcium level was lower in Japan (8.8 mg/dL) than United States/Europe (9.0-9.1 mg/dL), while the mean phosphorus level was lower in Europe (4.8 mg/dL) than United States/Japan (5.1-5.3 mg/dL).

LIMITATIONS

Lack of data for medication dosages; most patients were not followed from HD onset.

CONCLUSIONS

Large differences exist in the levels, trajectories, and therapies for PTH, calcium, and phosphorus by country and race in the first 5 years of HD. Higher PTH levels were observed in the United States, especially among black/African American patients, despite greater use of cinacalcet and active vitamin D than in Japan or Europe. Potential contributors to differences in PTH levels should be explored to study their impact on PTH management strategies and consequent bone and cardiovascular complications.

Current status of vascular access in Japan-from Dialysis Access Symposium 2017

At the second Dialysis Access Symposium held in Nagoya, Japan, a proposal was made to investigate the differences in vascular access methods used in different countries. In this article, we describe the management of vascular access in Japan. The Japanese population is rapidly aging, and the proportion of elderly patients on dialysis is also increasing. There were 325,000 dialysis patients in Japan at the end of 2015, of whom 65.1% were aged 65 years or above. The number of patients with diabetic nephropathy or nephrosclerosis as the underlying condition is also increasing, whereas the number with chronic glomerulonephritis is steadily decreasing. The Japanese health insurance system enables patients to undergo medical treatment at almost no out-of-pocket cost. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty suffers from a severe device lag compared with other countries, but although there are limitations on permitted devices, the use of those that have been authorized is covered by medical insurance. One important point that is unique to Japan is that vascular access is performed and managed by doctors involved in dialysis across a wide range of disciplines, including nephrologists, surgeons, and urologists. This may be one factor contributing to the good survival prognosis of Japanese dialysis patients.

International comparison of trends in patients commencing renal replacement therapy by primary renal disease

AIM

To examine international time trends in the incidence of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) by primary renal disease (PRD).

METHODS

Renal registries reporting on patients starting RRT per million population for ESRD by PRD from 2005 to 2014, were identified by internet search and literature review. The average annual percentage change (AAPC) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of the time trends was computed using Joinpoint regression.

RESULTS

There was a significant decrease in the incidence of RRT for ESRD due to diabetes mellitus (DM) in Europe (AAPC = -0.9; 95%CI -1.3; -0.5) and to hypertension/renal vascular disease (HT/RVD) in Australia (AAPC = -1.8; 95%CI -3.3; -0.3), Canada (AAPC = -2.9; 95%CI -4.4; -1.5) and Europe (AAPC = -1.1; 95%CI -2.1; -0.0). A decrease or stabilization was observed for glomerulonephritis in all regions and for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) in all regions except for Malaysia and the Republic of Korea. An increase of 5.2-16.3% was observed for DM, HT/RVD and ADPKD in Malaysia and the Republic of Korea.

CONCLUSION

Large international differences exist in the trends in incidence of RRT by primary renal disease. Mapping of these international trends is the first step in defining the causes and successful preventative measures of CKD.

Sexual Dysfunction and Satisfaction in Kidney Transplant Patients

INTRODUCTION

10% of the world's population suffers from chronic kidney disease. Kidney transplants provide an improvement in the quality of life of those patients. Sexual dysfunction is common after kidney transplantation, and its etiology is presumed to be multifactorial. It has a negative impact on sexual satisfaction and health-related quality-of-life. The integration of a new organ into the body can imply an adjustment of body image, which may eventually have a negative influence on intimacy and sexual behaviors.

AIM

To evaluate male sexual function, sexual satisfaction, and body image satisfaction among a convenience sample of patients who have had a kidney transplant.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study that included 460 patients, from a single healthcare center, who had undergone a kidney transplant procedure >4 weeks ago. A total of 112 respondents (mean = 55.5 years, SD = 11.4) answered the questionnaires properly.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

All recruited patients answered a self-reported sociodemographic questionnaire, in addition to the International Index of Erectile function, the New Scale of Sexual Satisfaction, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Body Image Scale.

RESULTS

A correlation was found between sexual function and sexual satisfaction (r = 0.598, P < .001, n = 112), as well as between body image satisfaction and sexual function (r = -0.193, P = .042, n = 112). The length of time after a kidney transplant (≤ or >36 months) was not associated with a difference in sexual functioning or sexual satisfaction.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

This study showed the obvious implications of sexual function on sexual satisfaction, which should alert healthcare professionals to the importance of identifying and managing sexual dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease, to optimize their global and sexual health satisfaction.

STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS

This study identified a high prevalence of sexual dysfunction among kidney transplant recipients. This should reinforce the need for the medical community to evaluate the quality-of-life domains of patients with chronic disease. There is still a lack of information concerning any longitudinal evaluation of kidney transplant patients' sexual function and the effects that this surgery has on sexuality.

CONCLUSIONS

This study corroborated the severe effects that kidney transplant patients often report regarding their sexuality. Among the patients who participated in the study, sexual function proved to be relevant in relation to sexual satisfaction. Mota RL, Fonseca R, Santos JC, et al. Sexual Dysfunction and Satisfaction in Kidney Transplant Patients. J Sex Med 2019;16:1018-1028.

The TiME Trial: A Fully Embedded, Cluster-Randomized, Pragmatic Trial of Hemodialysis Session Duration

BACKGROUND

Data from clinical trials to inform practice in maintenance hemodialysis are limited. Incorporating randomized trials into dialysis clinical care delivery should help generate practice-guiding evidence, but the feasibility of this approach has not been established.

METHODS

To develop approaches for embedding trials into routine delivery of maintenance hemodialysis, we performed a cluster-randomized, pragmatic trial demonstration project, the Time to Reduce Mortality in ESRD (TiME) trial, evaluating effects of session duration on mortality (primary outcome) and hospitalization rate. Dialysis facilities randomized to the intervention adopted a default session duration ≥4.25 hours (255 minutes) for incident patients; those randomized to usual care had no trial-driven approach to session duration. Implementation was highly centralized, with no on-site research personnel and complete reliance on clinically acquired data. We used multiple strategies to engage facility personnel and participating patients.

RESULTS

The trial enrolled 7035 incident patients from 266 dialysis units. We discontinued the trial at a median follow-up of 1.1 years because of an inadequate between-group difference in session duration. For the primary analysis population (participants with estimated body water ≤42.5 L), mean session duration was 216 minutes for the intervention group and 207 minutes for the usual care group. We found no reduction in mortality or hospitalization rate for the intervention versus usual care.

CONCLUSIONS

Although a highly pragmatic design allowed efficient enrollment, data acquisition, and monitoring, intervention uptake was insufficient to determine whether longer hemodialysis sessions improve outcomes. More effective strategies for engaging clinical personnel and patients are likely required to evaluate clinical trial interventions that are fully embedded in care delivery.

Prehemodialysis arteriovenous access creation is associated with better cardiovascular outcomes in patients receiving hemodialysis: a population-based cohort study

Background

Cardiovascular (CV) disease contributes to nearly half of the mortalities in patients with end-stage renal disease. Patients who received prehemodialysis arteriovenous access (pre-HD AVA) creation had divergent CV outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a population-based cohort study by recruiting incident patients receiving HD from 2001 to 2012 from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients’ characteristics, comorbidities, and medicines were analyzed. The primary outcome of interest was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), defined as hospitalization due to acute myocardial infarction, stroke, or congestive heart failure (CHF) occurring within the first year of HD. Secondary outcomes included MACE-related mortality and all-cause mortality in the same follow-up period.

Results

The patients in the pre-HD AVA group were younger, had a lower burden of underlying diseases, were more likely to use erythropoiesis-stimulating agents but less likely to use renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system blockers. The patients with pre-HD AVA creation had a marginally lower rate of MACEs but a significant 35% lower rate of CHF hospitalization than those without creation (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.48–0.88]). In addition, the pre-HD AVA group exhibited an insignificantly lower rate of MACE-related mortality but a significantly 52% lower rate of all-cause mortality than the non-pre-HD AVA group (adjusted HR 0.48, 95% CI [0.39–0.59]). Sensitivity analyses obtained consistent results.

Conclusions

Pre-HD AVA creation is associated with a lower rate of CHF hospitalization and overall death in the first year of dialysis.

Dialysis initiation, modality choice, access, and prescription: conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference

Globally, the number of patients undergoing maintenance dialysis is increasing, yet throughout the world there is significant variability in the practice of initiating dialysis. Factors such as availability of resources, reasons for starting dialysis, timing of dialysis initiation, patient education and preparedness, dialysis modality and access, as well as varied "country-specific" factors significantly affect patient experiences and outcomes. As the burden of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) has increased globally, there has also been a growing recognition of the importance of patient involvement in determining the goals of care and decisions regarding treatment. In January 2018, KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) convened a Controversies Conference focused on dialysis initiation, including modality choice, access, and prescription. Here we present a summary of the conference discussions, including identified knowledge gaps, areas of controversy, and priorities for research. A major novel theme represented during the conference was the need to move away from a "one-size-fits-all" approach to dialysis and provide more individualized care that incorporates patient goals and preferences while still maintaining best practices for quality and safety. Identifying and including patient-centered goals that can be validated as quality indicators in the context of diverse health care systems to achieve equity of outcomes will require alignment of goals and incentives between patients, providers, regulators, and payers that will vary across health care jurisdictions.

Cardiovascular Event Rates Among Hemodialysis Patients Across Geographical Regions-A Snapshot From The Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS)

Introduction

Cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality are excessively high among hemodialysis (HD) patients. Anemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and a known risk factor for CV events. To understand the impact of the recent regulatory and guideline changes in anemia management, we examined regional CV event rates in high-risk and erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA)-hyporesponsive HD patients.

Methods

A prospective cohort study including 16,560 HD patients, 8660 CV high-risk, and 884 hyporesponsive to ESAs, from the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) phase 4 (2009-2011) and phase 5 (2012-2015) was conducted to quantify all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and MACE plus heart failure and thromboembolic events (MACE+).

Results

The MACE+ rates (per 100 patient-years) were highest in North America (NA) (19.4; 95% CI = 18.2-20.7), followed by Europe (EU) (17.4; 95% CI = 16.6-18.1) and lowest in Japan (7.5; 95% CI = 6.9-8.1). When restricted to the high CV risk population, rates increased by 36% in NA, 45% in EU, and 72% in Japan. Mortality accounted for >74% of MACE+ events. MACE+ rates in ESA-hyporesponsive patients and high CV risk patients were similar in NA and EU cohorts. There were minimal differences in outcomes between the DOPPS phases 4 and 5.

Conclusion

Cardiovascular event rates are high in the HD population, vary by geographic region, and are substantially higher in high CV risk patients and ESA-hyporesponsive patients; however, the rates appear not to be affected by anemia guideline changes. The findings from this study will be essential to contextualize the design of future CV anemia-related outcome studies and clinical trials.

Dialysis Reimbursement: What Impact Do Different Models Have on Clinical Choices?

Allowing patients to live for decades without the function of a vital organ is a medical miracle, but one that is not without cost both in terms of morbidity and quality of life and in economic terms. Renal replacement therapy (RRT) consumes between 2% and 5% of the overall health care expenditure in countries where dialysis is available without restrictions. While transplantation is the preferred treatment in patients without contraindications, old age and comorbidity limit its indications, and low organ availability may result in long waiting times. As a consequence, 30–70% of the patients depend on dialysis, which remains the main determinant of the cost of RRT. Costs of dialysis are differently defined, and its reimbursement follows different rules. There are three main ways of establishing dialysis reimbursement. The first involves dividing dialysis into a series of elements and reimbursing each one separately (dialysis itself, medications, drugs, transportation, hospitalisation, etc.). The second, known as the capitation system, consists of merging these elements in a per capita reimbursement, while the third, usually called the bundle system, entails identifying a core of procedures intrinsically linked to treatment (e.g., dialysis sessions, tests, intradialyitc drugs). Each one has advantages and drawbacks, and impacts differently on the organization and delivery of care: payment per session may favour fragmentation and make a global appraisal difficult; a correct capitation system needs a careful correction for comorbidity, and may exacerbate competition between public and private settings, the latter aiming at selecting the least complex cases; a bundle system, in which the main elements linked to the dialysis sessions are considered together, may be a good compromise but risks penalising complex patients, and requires a rapid adaptation to treatment changes. Retarding dialysis is a clinical and economical goal, but the incentives for predialysis care are not established and its development may be unfavourable for the provider. A closer cooperation between policymakers, economists and nephrologists is needed to ensure a high quality of dialysis care.

International Variations in Peritoneal Dialysis Utilization and Implications for Practice

In many countries, the use of peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains low despite arguments that support its greater use, including dialysis treatment away from hospital settings, avoidance of central venous catheters, and potential health economic advantages. Training patients to manage aspects of their own care has the potential to enhance health literacy and increase patient involvement, independence, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness of care. Complex reasons underlie the variable use of PD across the world, acting at the level of the patient, the health care team that is responsible for them, and the health care system that they find themselves in. Important among these is the availability of competitively priced dialysis fluid. A number of key interventions can affect the uptake of PD. These include high-quality patient education around dialysis modality choice, timely and successful catheter placement, satisfactory patient training, and continued support that is tailored for specific needs, for example, when people present late requiring dialysis. Several health system changes have been shown to increase PD use, such as targeted funding, PD First initiatives, or physician-inserted PD catheters. This review explores the factors that explain the considerable international variation in the use of PD and presents interventions that can potentially affect them.

Acute IgA-Dominant Glomerulonephritis Associated with Syphilis Infection in a Pregnant Teenager: A New Disease Association

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasingly recognized as a risk factor in pregnancy; the differential diagnosis between CKD and preeclampsia (PE) may be of pivotal importance for pregnancy management and for early treatment of CKD. Acknowledging this connection may be useful also in a wider context, such as in the case reported in this paper, which for the first time describes an association between syphilis infection and IgA-dominant glomerulonephritis. A 16-year-old woman, referred to a general hospital due to a seizure, was found to be unknowingly pregnant. Based on hypertension and nephrotic proteinuria, she was initially diagnosed with PE. Immunological tests, as well as hepatitis and HIV tests showed negative results. However, secondary syphilis was diagnosed. In discordance with the PE diagnosis, urinalysis showed glomerular microhematuria with cellular casts. Proteinuria and hypertension did not remit after delivery, which was made via caesarean section, due to uncontrolled hypertension, at an estimated gestational age of 29 weeks. A male baby, weighing 1.1 kg (6.5 centile) was born. The baby was hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit, where he developed subependymal hemorrhage and thrombocytopenia, and neonatal syphilis was diagnosed. The mother underwent a kidney biopsy one week after delivery, leading to the diagnosis of IgA-dominant postinfectious glomerulonephritis. Mother and child were treated with support and antibiotic therapy, and were discharged in good clinical conditions four weeks later. Four months after delivery, the mother was normotensive without therapy, with normal kidney function and without hematuria or proteinuria. In conclusion, this case suggests that IgA-dominant postinfectious glomerulonephritis should be added to the spectrum of syphilis-associated glomerulonephritides, and underlines the need for a careful differential diagnosis with CKD in all cases of presumed PE. While diagnosis relies on kidney biopsy, urinary sediment, a simple and inexpensive test, can be the first step in distinguishing PE from other nephropathies.