The associations between the family education and mortality of patients on peritoneal dialysis

Race- and Ethnicity-Related Disparities in Predialysis Nephrology Care, Kidney Disease Education, and Home Dialysis Utilization

Key Points

Background

Predialysis nephrology care and KRT-directed education (KDE) are essential for incident home dialysis use. However, there are substantial disparities in these care parameters among patients with advanced CKD. The effect of these disparities on home dialysis underuse has not been examined.

Methods

We analyzed the 2021 United States Renal Database System to identify all adult patients with kidney failure with over 6 months of predialysis Medicare coverage initiating their first-ever dialysis between 2010 and 2019. We used a mediation analysis to dissect the attributable influence of disparities in predialysis nephrology care and KDE on incident home dialysis use. In addition, we conducted sensitivity analyses using graded levels of mediators and sustained effect on home dialysis outcomes.

Results

We identified 464,310 Medicare recipients: 428,301 using in-center hemodialysis and 35,416 using home dialysis as their first-ever dialysis modality during the study period. Compared with non-Hispanic White patients (n=294,914), adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) for receiving predialysis nephrology care, KDE service, and incident home dialysis were 0.62 (0.61 to 0.64), 0.58 (0.52 to 0.63), and 0.76 (0.73 to 0.79), respectively, among Hispanic individuals (n=49,734) and 0.74 (0.73 to 0.76), 0.84 (0.79 to 0.89), and 0.63 (0.61 to 0.65), respectively, among Black individuals (n=98,992). Mediation analyses showed that compared with non-Hispanic White individuals, lack of nephrology care explained 30% and 14% of incident home dialysis underuse among Hispanic and Black individuals, respectively (P < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses using a longer duration of nephrology care and KDE services and the sustained effect on home dialysis underuse through the first year after kidney failure showed congruent and consolidating findings.

Conclusions

Disparities in predialysis nephrology care were significantly associated with lower home dialysis use among Hispanic and Black individuals.

Peritoneal Dialysis Guidelines 2019 Part 1 (Position paper of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy)

Approximately 10 years have passed since the Peritoneal Dialysis Guidelines were formulated in 2009. Much evidence has been reported during the succeeding years, which were not taken into consideration in the previous guidelines, e.g., the next peritoneal dialysis PD trial of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) in Japan, the significance of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), the effects of icodextrin solution, new developments in peritoneal pathology, and a new international recommendation on a proposal for exit-site management. It is essential to incorporate these new developments into the new clinical practice guidelines. Meanwhile, the process of creating such guidelines has changed dramatically worldwide and differs from the process of creating what were “clinical practice guides.” For this revision, we not only conducted systematic reviews using global standard methods but also decided to adopt a two-part structure to create a reference tool, which could be used widely by the society’s members attending a variety of patients. Through a working group consensus, it was decided that Part 1 would present conventional descriptions and Part 2 would pose clinical questions (CQs) in a systematic review format. Thus, Part 1 vastly covers PD that would satisfy the requirements of the members of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy (JSDT). This article is the duplicated publication from the Japanese version of the guidelines and has been reproduced with permission from the JSDT.

Family characteristics associated with rural households' willingness to renew the family doctor contract services: a cross-sectional study in Shandong, China

Background

In China, some previous studies have investigated the signing rate and willingness of residents to sign the family doctor contract services (FDCS). Few studies have explored residents’ willingness to renew the FDCS. This study is designed to understand the family characteristics difference towards rural households’ willingness of maintaining the FDCS.

Methods

A total of 823 rural households were included in the analysis. A descriptive analysis was conducted to describe the sample characteristics. The binary logistic regression model was used to explore the family characteristics that influence the renewal willingness for FDCS among rural households in Shandong province, China.

Results

Our study found that about 95.5% rural households had willingness to maintain the FDCS in Shandong, China. Those households with catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) (OR = 0.328, 95%CI = 0.153–0.703), with highest level of education at graduate or above (OR = 0.303, 95%CI = 0.123–0.747) were less willing to maintain the FDCS. Those whose households have more than half of the labor force (OR = 0.403, 95%CI = 0.173–0.941) and those households living in economically higher condition were less willing to maintain the FDCS.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates a significant association between family characteristics (CHE, highest education in households, proportion of the household labor force) and willingness to maintain FDCS among rural households in Shandong, China. Targeted policies should be made for rural residents of identified at-risk families.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-11048-5.

Risk factors for mortality in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim

Inconsistent investigations of the risk factors for all-cause mortality in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) were reported. The present meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of some clinical characteristics on the risk of mortality in PD patients.

Methods

PubMed and Embase were systematically searched for studies evaluating the risk factors for all-cause mortality in PD patients. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were derived using a random-effect or fixed-effect model considering the heterogeneity across studies.

Result

A total of 26 studies were included in this meta-analysis in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Age, primary cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and high level of alkaline phosphatase showed significant positive associations with elevated risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in PD patients, while hemoglobin acted as a benefit factor. Furthermore, early onset of peritonitis, high peritoneal transport status, elevated body mass index and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein could also considerably increase the risk of all-cause mortality. The absolute serum level of magnesium, potassium, and uric acid required to improve survival in PD patients should be verified further.

Conclusions

Multiple factors could affect the risk of mortality in PD patients.

Socioeconomic status and mortality among dialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The reported association between individual indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) and mortality in dialysis patients was inconsistent in previous studies. We performed a meta-analysis to identify the association between SES and mortality of dialysis population.

METHODS

The meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with MOOSE guidelines. Cohorts evaluating the association between SES indicators (income, education and occupation) and mortality in dialysis patients were included. Random-effects models were used to pool the adjusted relative risk (RR) from individual studies. Heterogeneity was assessed by Cochrane's Q and the I² statistic. Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed to identify sources of heterogeneity and to evaluate the robustness of findings.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies were finally included. In hemodialysis patients, increased mortality was associated with lower level of income (RR = 1.08, 95%CI [1.01-1.16], P = 0.035; I² = 87.9%, P < 0.001) and occupation (RR = 1.63, 95%CI [1.11-2.38], P = 0.013; I² = 0.0%, P = 0.601). However, no significant association was identified for education (RR = 1.43, 95%CI [0.92-2.25]; P = 0.112; I² = 68.3%,P = 0.001). In patients receiving peritoneal dialysis, lower level of income (RR = 1.80, 95%CI [1.12-2.88],P = 0.015; I² = 75.9%, P = 0.042), education (RR = 1.27, 95%CI [1.13-1.43], P < 0.001; I² = 0.0%, P = 0.684), and occupation (RR = 3.42, 95% CI [1.35-8.70], P = 0.010) were risk factors for increased mortality. Subgroup analysis showed the association between SES indicators and mortality in hemodialysis differed according to geographic locations and study designs.

CONCLUSION

Lower SES (measured by income, education, and occupation) tends to be associated with higher mortality in patients receiving maintenance dialysis. But the magnitude of the associations varied for different individual indicators of SES.

'Educational' Deprivation is Associated with PD Peritonitis

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomic deprivation is an important factor in determining poor health and is associated with a higher prevalence of many chronic diseases, including renal failure, and often poorer outcomes for patients with such conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of deprivation on peritonitis episodes following peritoneal dialysis (PD)-catheter insertion.

METHODS

The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) was used to assess the influence of socioeconomic deprivation on outcomes following 233 consecutive first PD-catheter insertions from a single institution in the United Kingdom, performed between 2010 and 2015. The primary outcome measure was the presence of peritonitis episodes.

RESULTS

Peritoneal dialysis catheters were inserted in 243 patients, of which data were available for 233. Fifty-four patients experienced at least 1 episode of peritonitis. Overall, more patients in the most deprived group (vs least deprived) experienced peritonitis, although this was not statistically significant. When analyzing the severity of the peritonitis, within the 'Education' domain of the WIMD, significantly more patients from the most deprived group (compared with the least deprived group) experienced '2 or more peritonitis' episodes (p = 0.04) and were hospitalized for antibiotics (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

This study has shown that patients who live in more 'educationally' deprived areas are more likely to have multiple episodes of peritonitis requiring hospital admission following PD-catheter insertions.

Association of Social Support and Family Environment with Cognitive Function in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

♦ BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment (CI) is a common phenomenon and predictive of high mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. This study aimed to analyze the association of social support and family environment with cognitive function in PD patients. ♦ METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of PD patients from Peking University First Hospital and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University. Global cognitive function was measured using the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS), executive function was measured by the A and B trail-making tests, and other cognitive functions were measured by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Social support was measured with the Social Support Scale developed by Xiaoshuiyuan and family environment was measured with the Chinese Version of the Family Environment Scale (FES-CV). ♦ RESULTS: The prevalence of CI and executive dysfunction among the 173 patients in the study was, respectively, 16.8% and 26.3%. Logistic regression found that higher global social support (odds ratio [OR] = 1.09, 1.01 - 1.17, p = 0.027) and subjective social support predicted higher prevalence of CI (OR = 1.13, 1.02 - 1.25, p = 0.022), adjusting for covariates. Analyses of the FES-CV dimensions found that greater independence was significantly associated with better immediate memory and delayed memory. Moreover, higher scores on achievement orientation were significantly associated with poorer language skills. ♦ CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that social support is negatively associated with the cognitive function of PD patients and that some dimensions of the family environment are significantly associated with several domains of cognitive function.

Lower Education Level Is a Risk Factor for Peritonitis and Technique Failure but Not a Risk for Overall Mortality in Peritoneal Dialysis under Comprehensive Training System

Background

Lower education level could be a risk factor for higher peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis, potentially resulting in technique failure. This study evaluated the influence of lower education level on the development of peritonitis, technique failure, and overall mortality.

Methods

Patients over 18 years of age who started PD at Seoul National University Hospital between 2000 and 2012 with information on the academic background were enrolled. Patients were divided into three groups: middle school or lower (academic year≤9, n = 102), high school (9<academic year≤12, n = 229), and higher than high school (academic year>12, n = 324). Outcomes were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models and competing risk regression.

Results

A total of 655 incident PD patients (60.9% male, age 48.4±14.1 years) were analyzed. During follow-up for 41 (interquartile range, 20–65) months, 255 patients (38.9%) experienced more than one episode of peritonitis, 138 patients (21.1%) underwent technique failure, and 78 patients (11.9%) died. After adjustment, middle school or lower education group was an independent risk factor for peritonitis (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10–2.36; P = 0.015) and technique failure (adjusted HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.10–3.18; P = 0.038), compared with higher than high school education group. However, lower education was not associated with increased mortality either by as-treated (adjusted HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.53–2.33; P = 0.788) or intent-to-treat analysis (P = 0.726).

Conclusions

Although lower education was a significant risk factor for peritonitis and technique failure, it was not associated with increased mortality in PD patients. Comprehensive training and multidisciplinary education may overcome the lower education level in PD.

Evaluating the benefits of home-based peritoneal dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an effective renal replacement strategy for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease. PD offers patient survival comparable to or better than in-center hemodialysis while preserving residual kidney function, empowering patient autonomy, and reducing financial burden to payors. The majority of patients suffering from kidney failure are eligible for PD. In patients with cardiorenal syndrome and uncontrolled fluid status, PD is of particular benefit, decreasing hospitalization rates and duration. This review discusses the benefits of chronic PD, performed by the patient or a caregiver at home. Recognition of the benefits of PD is a cornerstone in stimulating the use of this treatment strategy.