Comparison of Subdural Hematoma Risk between Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis Patients with ESRD

Assessment of drug utilization and potentially inappropriate medications in hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal dysfunction: A study in a tertiary care hospital in Bahrain

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing dialysis pose therapeutic challenges in terms of polypharmacy, administration of potentially inappropriate drugs, and drugs with the potential risk of toxicity.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the use of drugs, potentially inappropriate medicines (PIM), drugs with risk of Torsades de Pointes (TdP), and the complexity of the prescribed regimen using the medication regimen complexity index scale in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was carried out amongst patients receiving hemodialysis. Drugs were classified into one of four classes: (i) drugs used in managing renal complications, (ii) cardiovascular drugs, (iii) anti-diabetic drugs, (iv) drugs for symptomatic management, and (v) others. Drugs were considered as PIM according to the Can-SOLVE CKD working group from a network of Canadian nephrology health professionals. The study adhered to the CredibleMeds classification of drugs with known, possible, and conditional risk of TdP and the complexity of prescribed medicines was evaluated based on the pre-validated medication regimen complexity index scale based on form/route, frequency of dosing, and requirement of special instructions.

RESULTS

Sixty-three participants were included in the study (49 males and 14 females) with the median (range) age of 45 (21-66) years. Cardiovascular drugs followed by drugs used for managing renal complications were the most common classes administered. Notably, 12 (19.1%) patients received one of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, 21 (33.3%) received a proton pump inhibitor, three (4.8%) received pregabalin, two (3.2%) received opioid drugs, and one (1.6%) was administered celecoxib. Atorvastatin, furosemide, omeprazole, and allopurinol were the most common PIM drugs administered to the study participants followed by others. Drugs used for symptomatic management had significantly more PIM compared to other classes (p < 0.0001). Six (9.5%) patients received drugs with known TdP risk, one with possible TdP risk, and 61 with conditional risk. Median (range) medical regimen complexity index score was 26.5 (2-62.5).

CONCLUSION

A huge burden of drug therapy was observed in the hemodialysis patients in terms of higher proportions of PIM, complex medical regimen, and prescription of drugs with risk of TdP. Implementation of clinical decision support tools enhancing rational prescription and identification of drugs with TdP risk, introducing antimicrobial stewardship, and stepwise deprescription of the drugs with the least benefit-risk ratio are warranted.

Detection and Scoring of Extracorporeal Circuit Clotting During Hemodialysis

Maintaining patency of the extracorporeal hemodialysis (HD) circuit is a prerequisite to perform HD. Unfractionated heparin and low-molecular-weight heparins are the most used anticoagulants in maintenance HD, but their administration comes with a major trade-off of bleeding complications. This narrative review article discusses technical factors impacting on HD circuit patency, such as tubings, dialyzer membranes, priming practices, and treatment settings. Strategies for monitoring extracorporeal circuit clotting during and after treatment are also reviewed, as these are essential tools for optimizing anticoagulation.

Bleeding Risk in Hemodialysis Patients

Cardiovascular diseases are highly prevalent among patients on dialysis. For these diseases, antiplatelets and antithrombotic therapies including heparin, vitamin K antagonists, and direct oral anticoagulants, are being used. However, the benefit-risk balance of these therapies could differ for dialysis patients compared with the general population. This review article focuses on the bleeding risk associated with the use of heparin, antiplatelets, vitamin K antagonists, and direct oral anticoagulants in patients receiving hemodialysis.

Elevated serum creatinine levels and risk of cognitive impairment in older adults with diabetes: a NHANES study from 2011-2014

Background

The brain and kidney have similar microvascular structure, which makes them susceptible to certain common pathophysiological processes. In this study, we examined several indicators of kidney injury/function associated with cognitive function in older diabetic patients in the hope of finding effective markers for detecting cognitive impairment (CI).

Methods

A total of 2209 older participants (aged ≥60 years) from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed for the association between diabetes and CI using a multiple linear regression analysis model. Using the same approach, we also analyzed the relationship between indicators of kidney injury/function and cognitive function (Animal Fluency Test, Digit Symbol Substitution Test) in the diabetic population.

Results

Diabetes was associated with CI. In age-adjusted model, older diabetics performed significantly poorer on tests of cognitive function compared to normoglycaemic individuals (1.145 points lower on the Animal Fluency Test (P = 0.005) and 7.868 points reduced on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (P < 0.001)). In diabetics, we found elevated serum creatinine (SCr) (especially at SCr≥300uM) was associated with lower scores on cognitive function tests after strict adjustment for potential influences on cognitive function. While, albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) was only associated with Digit Symbol Substitution score (DSS) not Animal Fluency score (AFS), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was only associated with CI (AFS and DSS) at the end-stage renal disease.

Conclusion

SCr, as a sensitive indicator of kidney injury, was significantly associated with CI and can potentially be used as an effective marker for screening CI in older diabetics.

Nontraumatic subdural hematoma in patients on hemodialysis with end-stage kidney disease: a systematic review and pooled analysis

Background

The original treatment may aggravate when hemodialysis (HD) patients have nontraumatic subdural hematoma (NSDH). End-stage kidney disease patients are at increased risk for NSDH, but its risk factors and outcomes are not sufficiently explored at present.

Methods

Electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched by using various combinations of the keywords "Hemodialysis," "Renal Insufficiency," "Extracorporeal Dialysis," "Subdural Hematoma," "Subdural Hemorrhage," "Subdural Hematomas," and "Subdural Hemorrhages" in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Sixteen papers were selected. Relevant patient data were extracted, aggregated, and analyzed.

Results

A total of 74 patients were analyzed, including 37 male, 26 female, and 11 with no gender data, with a mean age of 56 years (range, 16-81 years). There were 43 patients with hypertension, 36 patients with diabetes, 16 patients who used oral anticoagulants before dialysis, and 10 patients with atrial fibrillation. The diagnosis of subdural hematoma (SDH) was made by computed tomography (CT) (n = 51), carotid arteriography (n = 7), surgical exploration (n = 3), and autopsy (n = 2). Forty cases underwent surgical treatment, including craniotomy and burr hole (or twist drill) drainage. The 1 year mortality rate of NSDH was 45.9%. The mortality rate after conservative treatment (61.8%) was higher than that after surgical intervention (32.5%). The mortality rate of NSDH in dialysis patients with atrial fibrillation and in those who used oral anticoagulants before hemodialysis (HD) was 90 and 81%, respectively.

Conclusion

NSDH is rare in HD, and mortality is high if NSDH occurs in dialysis patients. Surgical intervention reduces the mortality from NSDH in patients on HD (p < 0.02). Patients with atrial fibrillation and those who were taking oral anticoagulants before dialysis have a higher NSDH mortality (p < 0.01).

Comparison of the risks of renal cell carcinoma or urothelial cancer between hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients

PURPOSE

This study is to compare risks of developing renal cell carcinoma or urothelial cancer between hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

METHODS

The age-, sex-, and index year-matched patients with newly diagnosed end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) undergoing dialysis [HD (N = 22,587) or PD (N = 11,547)] from 2000 to 2015 in Taiwan were identified. Patients were followed until the development of renal cell carcinoma or urothelial cancer, renal transplantation, death, or the end of follow-up (December 31, 2017). The hazard ratio (HR), and sub-hazards ratio (SHR), in which death was considered as a competing risk, of developing renal cell carcinoma or urothelial cancer were compared between the HD and PD patients.

RESULTS

The incidence rate of renal cell carcinoma was higher in the PD group than in age-, sex-, and index year-matched HD group (11.5 versus 5.52 per 10,000 person-years), with an adjusted HR of 2.15 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.59, 2.92), and an adjusted SHR of 1.97 (95% CI = 1.46, 2.67). The incidence rate of urothelial cancer was also higher in the PD group than in corresponding HD group (40.3 and 34.0 per 10,000 person-years), with an adjusted HR of 1.15 (95% CI = 1.00, 1.33) and an adjusted SHR of 1.08 (95% CI = 0.94, 1.25). These findings were further validated in propensity score-matched dialysis cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

ESKD patients undergoing PD are at a higher risk of developing renal cell carcinoma than those on HD, but risks of developing urothelial cancer are similar among the two groups.

Growth differentiation factor-15 predicts major bleeding, major adverse cardiac events and mortality in patients with end-stage kidney disease on haemodialysis: findings from the VIVALDI study

BACKGROUND

Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are at high risk of cardiovascular events and bleeding. Optimizing risk assessment of ESKD patients regarding the risk of thromboembolism and bleeding complications in comorbid conditions, including atrial fibrillation and coronary heart disease, is challenging. To improve risk prediction we investigated growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a promising cardiovascular biomarker, and its relation to adverse outcomes.

METHODS

In this prospective, multicentre, population-based cohort study, GDF-15 was measured in 594 ESKD patients on haemodialysis (median age 66 years, 38% female), who were followed up for a median of 3.5 years. The association of GDF-15 with major bleeding, arterial thromboembolism, major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and death was analysed within a competing risk framework. Further, we evaluated the additive predictive value of GDF-15 to cardiovascular and death risk assessment.

RESULTS

GDF-15 levels were in median 5475 ng/l (25th-75th percentile 3964-7533) and independently associated with major bleeding {subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR] 1.31 per double increase [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.71]}, MACE [SHR 1.47 (95% CI 1.11-1.94)] and all-cause mortality [SHR 1.58 (95% CI 1.28-1.95)] but not arterial thromboembolism [SHR 0.91 (95% CI 0.61-1.36)]. The addition of GDF-15 to the HAS-BLED score significantly improved discrimination and calibration for predicting major bleeding [C-statistics increased from 0.61 (95% CI 0.52-0.70) to 0.68 (95% CI 0.61-0.78)]. Furthermore, we established an additive predictive value of GDF-15 beyond current risk models for predicting MACE and death.

CONCLUSION

GDF-15 predicts the risk of major bleeding, cardiovascular events and death in ESKD patients on haemodialysis and might be a valuable marker to guide treatment decisions in this challenging patient population.

Bleeding Risk Assessment in End-Stage Kidney Disease: Validation of Existing Risk Scores and Evaluation of a Machine Learning-Based Approach

BACKGROUND

 Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on hemodialysis (HD) are at increased risk for bleeding. However, despite relevant clinical implications regarding dialysis modalities or anticoagulation, no bleeding risk assessment strategy has been established in this challenging population.

METHODS

 Analyses on bleeding risk assessment models were performed in the population-based Vienna InVestigation of Atrial fibrillation and thromboemboLism in patients on hemoDialysIs (VIVALDI) study including 625 patients. In this cohort study, patients were prospectively followed for a median observation period of 3.5 years for the occurrence of major bleeding. First, performances of existing bleeding risk scores (i.e., HAS-BLED, HEMORR2HAGES, ATRIA, and four others) were evaluated in terms of discrimination and calibration. Second, four machine learning-based prediction models that included clinical, dialysis-specific, and laboratory parameters were developed and tested using Monte Carlo cross-validation.

RESULTS

 Of 625 patients (median age: 66 years, 37% women), 89 (14.2%) developed major bleeding, with a 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year cumulative incidence of 6.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.2-8.0), 10.3% (95% CI: 8.0-12.8), and 13.5% (95% CI: 10.8-16.2), respectively. C-statistics of the seven contemporary bleeding risk scores ranged between 0.54 and 0.59 indicating poor discriminatory performance. The HAS-BLED score showed the highest C-statistic of 0.59 (95% CI: 0.53-0.66). Similarly, all four machine learning-based predictions models performed poorly in internal validation (C-statistics ranging from 0.49 to 0.55).

CONCLUSION

 Existing bleeding risk scores and a machine learning approach including common clinical parameters fail to assist in bleeding risk prediction of patients on HD. Therefore, new approaches, including novel biomarkers, to improve bleeding risk prediction in patients on HD are needed.

Retrospective analysis of nontraumatic subdural hematoma incidence and outcomes in Egyptian patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis

Background

The incidence of subdural hematoma (SDH) in chronic maintenance hemodialysis (CMH) patients may change over time, along with the evolving characteristics of the underlying populations.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective, single-center study at Cairo University hospitals, assessing the incidence, associated risk factors, and outcomes of nontraumatic SDH in CMH patients between January 2006 and January 2019.

Results

Out of 1217 CMH patients, nontraumatic SDH was diagnosed in 41 (3.37%) during the study, increasing with the enrollees’ age but stable over the observation period and translating into an annual incidence rate of 28 per 1000 patients per year. SDH patients were likely to use central venous catheters, reported pruritis and history of bone fractures, and had higher phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, and alkaline phosphatase values (p < 0.001); however, there was no association with atrial fibrillation or use of anticoagulants. In the SDH cohort (n = 41), six patients did not need surgical intervention and 13 patients died before becoming surgically fit for intervention; mortality correlated with ischemic heart disease (p = 0.033) and the presence of atrial fibrillation or chronic anticoagulation with warfarin (p < 0.0001 for both), among others. Twenty-two patients received surgical operations and of these 2 died postoperatively; overall patient mortality was 12/41 (29.27%) at 30 days and 15/41 (36.59%) at 1 year.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated a striking enrichment for underlying comorbidities in those patients developing SDH and a high risk of immediate mortality. The benefit of chronic anticoagulation therapy should be carefully weighed against the risk of CNS bleed in MHD patients.

Outcomes of major trauma among patients with chronic kidney disease and receiving dialysis in Nova Scotia: a retrospective analysis

Background

The risk of death and complications after major trauma in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is higher than in the general population, but whether this association holds true among Canadian trauma patients is unknown.

Objectives

To characterize patients with CKD/receiving dialysis within a regional major trauma cohort and compare their outcomes with patients without CKD.

Methods

All major traumas requiring hospitalization between 2006 and 2017 were identified from a provincial trauma registry in Nova Scotia, Canada. Trauma patients with stage ≥3 CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m²) or receiving dialysis were identified by cross-referencing two regional databases for nephrology clinics and dialysis treatments. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality; secondary outcomes included hospital/intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS) and ventilator-days. Cox regression was used to adjust for the effects of patient characteristics on in-hospital mortality.

Results

In total, 6237 trauma patients were identified, of whom 4997 lived within the regional nephrology catchment area. CKD/dialysis trauma patients (n=101; 28 on dialysis) were older than patients without CKD (n=4896), with higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and had increased risk of in-hospital mortality (31% vs 11%, p<0.001). No differences were observed in injury severity, ICU LOS, or ventilator-days. After adjustment for age, sex, and injury severity, the HR for in-hospital mortality was 1.90 (95% CI 1.33 to 2.70) for CKD/dialysis compared with patients without CKD.

Conclusion

Independent of injury severity, patients without CKD/dialysis have significantly increased risk of in-hospital mortality after major trauma.

Bleeding risk of haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients

BACKGROUND

Dialysis patients have an increased bleeding risk as compared with the general population. However, there is limited information whether bleeding risks are different for patients treated with haemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD). From a clinical point of view, this information could influence therapy choice. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate the association between dialysis modality and bleeding risk.

METHODS

Incident dialysis patients from the Netherlands Cooperative Study on the Adequacy of Dialysis were prospectively followed for major bleeding events over 3 years. Hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for HD compared with PD using a time-dependent Cox regression analysis, with updates on dialysis modality.

RESULTS

In total, 1745 patients started dialysis, of whom 1211 (69.4%) received HD and 534 (30.6%) PD. The bleeding rate was 60.8/1000 person-years for HD patients and 34.6/1000 person-years for PD patients. The time-dependent Cox regression analysis showed that after adjustment for age, sex, primary kidney disease, prior bleeding, cardiovascular disease, antiplatelet drug use, vitamin K antagonist use, erythropoietin use, arterial hypertension, residual glomerular filtratin rate, haemoglobin and albumin levels, bleeding risk for HD patients compared with PD increased 1.5-fold (95% CI 1.0-2.2).

CONCLUSIONS

In this large prospective cohort of incident dialysis patients, HD patients had an increased bleeding risk compared with PD patients. In particular, HD patients with a history of prior bleeding had an increased bleeding risk.

Kidney Disease and Epilepsy

Chronic kidney disease and seizures often co-exist. When seizures are provoked in patients with kidney disease, their treatment poses a particular challenge. Seizures may be provoked in the context of uremia, and toxic substances associated with uremic encephalopathy. In that case, the mainstay of therapy is to treat the uremia before consideration for anticonvulsant therapy. Treatment of seizures in the setting of chronic kidney disease requires special attention to selection of anticonvulsant medications and knowledge of the altered pharmacokinetics of these medications, which may require special titration schedule in that setting. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge about inter-relation of seizures and kidney disease. The review will also help practitioners who treat patients with renal failure and coexisting seizures in choosing the best treatment options.

Health claims databases used for kidney research around the world

Health claims databases offer opportunities for studies on large populations of patients with kidney disease and health outcomes in a non-experimental setting. Among others, their unique features enable studies on healthcare costs or on longitudinal, epidemiological data with nationwide coverage. However, health claims databases also have several limitations. Because clinical data and information on renal function are often lacking, the identification of patients with kidney disease depends on the actual presence of diagnosis codes only. Investigating the validity of these data is therefore crucial to assess whether outcomes derived from health claims data are truly meaningful. Also, one should take into account the coverage and content of a health claims database, especially when making international comparisons. In this article, an overview is provided of international health claims databases and their main publications in the area of nephrology. The structure and contents of the Dutch health claims database will be described, as well as an initiative to use the outcomes for research and the development of the Dutch Kidney Atlas. Finally, we will discuss to what extent one might be able to identify patients with kidney disease using health claims databases, as well as their strengths and limitations.

Anticoagulation in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease and Atrial Fibrillation: Confusion, Concerns and Consequences

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients have a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, congestive heart failure and advanced age, along with an increased incidence of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF), thereby increasing the risk for cerebrovascular accidents. Systemic anticoagulation is therefore recommended in patients with ESRD with AF to reduce the risk and complications from thromboembolism. Paradoxically, these patients are at an increased risk of bleeding due to great degree of platelet dysfunction and impaired interaction between platelet and endothelium. Currently, CHA2DS2-VASc and Hypertension, Abnormal liver/kidney function, Stroke, Bleeding, Labile INR, Elderly, Drugs or alcohol (HAS-BLED) are the recommended models for stroke risk stratification and bleeding risk assessment in patients with AF. There is conflicting data regarding benefits and risks of medications such as antiplatelet agents, warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants in ESRD patients with AF. Moreover, there is no randomized controlled trial data to guide the clinical decision making. Hence, a multi-disciplinary approach with annual re-evaluation of treatment goals and risk-benefit assessment has been recommended. In this article, we review the current recommendations with risks and benefits of anticoagulation in patients with ESRD with AF.

Risk of Serious Falls Between Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: A Nationwide Population-based Cohort Study

The association between serious falls and dialysis modality [hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD)] is unclear. A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study with 127,823 end-stage renal disease patients aged over 18 years was conducted with the unmatched cohort of 101,304 HD and 7,584 PD patients retrieved from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database during 2000-2013. A total of 7,584 HD and 7,584 PD patients matched at 1:1 ratio by propensity score were enrolled to the study. Serious falls were defined by the diagnostic codes, E code, and image studies. Cox regression model and competing-risk model were used for statistical analysis. HD patients were older and had more comorbidities at baseline than PD patients. After matching and adjustment, HD patients had a higher risk of serious falls than PD patients [sHR 1.27 (95% CI 1.06-1.52)]. Females, elders, a history of falls before dialysis, comorbidity with stroke or visual problems, using diuretics, α-blockers, and mydriatics were associated with higher risks of serious falls among dialysis patients. The risk of serious falls was higher in HD patients than PD patients. Health professionals should create age-friendly environments, reduce unnecessary medications, and raise patients' awareness of falls in daily life.

The comparison of risk of stroke in patients with peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Several studies have demonstrated that end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on dialysis are at higher risk for cerebrovascular events, especially those on hemodialysis. However, the risk of stroke in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) compared to those on hemodialysis (HD) remains unclear. We performed this meta-analysis to assess the risks of stroke in ESRD patients on PD compared to HD.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane databases from inception through January 2018 to identify studies that evaluated the risks of stroke (all types of stroke, ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke) in ESRD patients on different dialysis modalities. Effect estimates from the individual study were extracted and combined using random-effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird.

RESULTS

Fifteen cohort studies with a total of 1 289 572 ESRD patients (over 1 140 942 on HD and 122 534 on PD) were enrolled. Compared with HD, PD was associated with a significantly decreased risk of hemorrhagic stroke with pooled OR of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.76-0.92). However, there were no differences in risks of all types of stroke or ischemic stroke in those on PD compared to HD with pooled ORs of 1.06 (95% CI: 0.91-1.22) and 1.01 (95% CI: 0.80-1.18,), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

PD status is associated with 16% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke compared to HD, but the risks of all types of stroke and hemorrhagic stroke are not statistically different in PD patients when compared to HD patients.

Renal Disease and Neurology

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Neurologic dysfunction is prevalent in patients with acute and chronic renal disease and may affect the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, or both. Neurologic manifestations may result directly from the uremic state or as a consequence of renal replacement therapy. Early recognition of neurologic dysfunction may provide opportunities for intervention and reduced morbidity.

RECENT FINDINGS

Advances in the understanding of neurologic complications of renal disease and its treatments have led to more widespread recognition and earlier identification of encephalopathy syndromes such as cefepime neurotoxicity and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), dramatic reductions in the incidence of dialysis disequilibrium syndrome and dialysis dementia, and improved survival in disorders such as von Hippel-Lindau disease and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

SUMMARY

This article summarizes the conditions that affect both the renal and the nervous systems, the effects of renal failure on the nervous system, and the neurologic complications of dialysis.

Risk of pulmonary embolism in patients with end-stage renal disease receiving long-term dialysis

Background

This study compared the pulmonary embolism (PE) risks between Asian dialysis patients and a comparison cohort without clinical kidney disease.

Methods

From the National Health Insurance claims data of Taiwan, we identified 106 231 newly diagnosed end-stage renal disease patients undergoing dialysis in 1998-2010 and randomly selected 106 231 comparison subjects, frequency matched by age, sex and the index year. We further selected 7430 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and 7340 propensity score-matched hemodialysis (HD) patients. Incidence rates and hazard ratios (HRs) of PE and odds ratio (OR) of subsequent 30-day deaths from PE were evaluated among study cohorts by the end of 2011.

Results

The overall incident PE was nearly 3-fold greater in dialysis patients than in the comparison cohort (0.92 versus 0.33 per 1000 person-years), with an adjusted HR of 2.02 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.63-2.50]. The PE incidence was greater in the propensity score-matched HD patients, than in PD patients with an adjusted HR of 2.30 (95% CI = 1.23-4.29). There was a greater PE risk for central venous catheter users than non-users among HD patients (1.83 versus 0.75 per 1000 person-years). The 30-day mortality from PE was higher in dialysis patients than in the comparison cohort (16.5 versus 9.77%) with an adjusted OR of 2.56 (95% CI = 1.32-4.95).

Conclusions

Dialysis patients are at a nearly 2-fold increased hazard of developing PE and are at greater risk of fatality from PE compared with those without clinical kidney disease. This study also shows a higher PE risk in HD patients than in PD patients.

Comparison of the risk of non-traumatic lower extremity amputation between haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients with end-stage renal disease

AIM

We used insurance claims data of Taiwan to compare the risk of non-traumatic lower extremity amputation between haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

METHODS

We identified 77 669 HD patients and 10 035 PD patients without prior amputation from 2000 to 2010. Incidence rates and hazard ratios (HRs) of lower extremity amputation, and subsequent 30-day mortality after amputation were evaluated up to 31 December 2011.

RESULTS

There were 2427 and 216 patients undergoing lower extremity amputation during follow-up in the HD and PD groups with incidence rates of 8.35 and 5.79 per 1000 person-years, respectively. Compared with the HD group, the overall adjusted HR of lower extremity amputation for the PD group was 1.27 (95% CI = 1.10-1.46). The impact of diabetes status on the risk of lower extremity amputation interacted with dialysis modality significantly (P < 0.001). Compared with the corresponding HD patients, the PD patients with diabetes had an adjusted HR of 1.44 (95% CI = 1.24-1.67) for amputation, whereas those without diabetes had an adjusted HR of 0.58 (95% CI = 0.36-0.95). The subsequent 30-day mortality rates after amputation were not significantly different between the HD and PD groups (8.45% vs. 9.72%) with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.41 (95% CI = 0.87-2.28, PD versus HD).

CONCLUSION

Compared with corresponding HD patients, the amputation risk is higher for PD patients with diabetes, while the risk is lower for PD patients without diabetes. Dialysis patients have a high 30-day mortality risk after amputation.

Effect of dialysis dependence and duration on post-coronary artery bypass grafting outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease: A nationwide cohort study in Asia

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with adverse outcomes in patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, the impact of preoperative dialysis dependence and duration in CKD patients on outcomes after CABG has limited research.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effect of preoperative dialysis dependence and duration on CABG outcomes in patients with CKD.

METHODS

A total of 33,920 patients without CKD and 2573 patients with CKD, all of whom underwent isolated CABG between 1998 and 2009, were identified using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The patients with CKD were divided into non-dialysis (N=1167), dialysis<3years (N=749), and dialysis≥3years (N=657) groups. The primary outcomes were cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) death, and myocardial infarction (MI) or repeat revascularization.

RESULTS

After adjustment of all covariates, a higher all-cause mortality was associated with dialysis≥3years than with dialysis<3years (hazard ratio [HR], 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-1.80; P<0.001) and with non-dialysis (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.20-1.66; P<0.001) after 2years of follow-up. Similar results were observed for CV death. In addition, both the dialysis groups had a higher risk of MI or revascularization than the non-dialysis group. Furthermore, subgroup analysis revealed that longer duration was associated with a higher risk of 30-day mortality (P for linear trend <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Among the CABG recipients, dialysis dependence is associated with a higher incidence of MI or repeat revascularization, and longer dialysis duration is associated with a higher risk of mortality.

Efficacy and safety of warfarin in dialysis patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

To systematically review and meta-analyse the risk–benefit ratio of warfarin users compared with non-warfarin users in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), who are undergoing dialysis.

Methods

We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, grey literature, conference proceedings, trial registrations and also did handsearch. Cohort studies without language restrictions were included. Two investigators independently conducted a full abstraction of data, risk of bias and graded evidence. Effect estimates were pooled using random-effect models.

Main outcome measure

All-cause mortality, total stroke/thromboembolism and bleeding complications.

Results

14 studies included 37 349 dialysis patients with AF, of whom 12 529 (33.5%) were warfarin users. For all-cause mortality: adjusted HR=0.99 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.10; p=0.825), unadjusted risk ratio (RR)=1.00 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.04; p=0.847). For stroke/thromboembolism: adjusted HR=1.06 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.36; p=0.676), unadjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR)=1.23 (95% CI 0.94 to 1.61; p=0.133). For ischaemic stroke/transient ischaemic attack, adjusted HR=0.91 (95% CI 0.57 to 1.45; p=0.698), unadjusted IRR=1.16 (95% CI 0.84 to 1.62; p=0.370). For haemorrhagic stroke, adjusted HR=1.60 (95% CI 0.91 to 2.81; p=0.100), unadjusted IRR=1.48 (95% CI 0.92 to 2.36; p=0.102). Major bleeding was increased among warfarin users; adjusted HR=1.35 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.64; p=0.003) and unadjusted IRR=1.22 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.40; p=0.003).

Conclusions

Among dialysis patients with AF, warfarin therapy was not associated with mortality and stroke/thromboembolism, but significantly increased the risk of major bleeding. More rigorous studies are essential to demonstrate the effect of warfarin for stroke prophylaxis in dialysis patients with AF.

Comparison of the risk of de novo cardiovascular disease between hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to compare the risk of de novo cardiovascular disease (CVD) between hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) in patients with incident end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

METHODS

From a Taiwanese universal insurance claims database, we identified 45309 incident ESRD patients without preexisting CVD from 2000 to 2010. Using the propensity score matching method, we included 6516 patients in HD and PD groups, respectively. All patients were followed up until the end of 2011. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to calculate the impact of dialysis modality on the risk of new onset cardiovascular events including ischemic heart disease, and congestive heart failure (CHF).

RESULTS

No difference was observed in the overall risk of de novo ischemic heart disease between the propensity score-matched HD and PD groups (HD versus PD, adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86-1.22). However, HD was associated with a higher risk of de novo CHF (adjusted HR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.13-1.47) than PD was. The risk of de novo CHF was particularly high in the first year under dialysis treatment for propensity score-matched HD patients, compared to PD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

No difference was observed in the overall risk of de novo major ischemic heart events between HD and PD patients. However, HD was associated with a higher risk of de novo CHF than PD in the first year under dialysis treatment.