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Self-reported depression by two simple questions was associated with increased risks of mortality and hospitalization for hemodialysis patients. Future research needs to assess whether early identification and treatment of depression may help to improve quality of life and survival in hemodialysis patients.

On all three continents, ESRD and hemodialysis profoundly affect HRQOL. In the United States, the effects on mental health are smaller than in other countries. Japanese hemodialysis patients perceived that their kidney disease imposes a greater burden, but their physical functioning was significantly higher. Different distributions of socioeconomic factors and major comorbid conditions could explain little of this difference in physical functioning. Other possible factors, such as quality of dialysis and related health care, deserve careful study.

The data suggest that depression is underdiagnosed and undertreated among hemodialysis patients. CES-D can help identify hemodialysis patients who are at higher risk of death and hospitalization. Interventions should target these patients with the goal to improve survival and reduce hospitalizations.

Background There is limited information about the clinical and prognostic significance of patient-reported recovery time. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Setting & Participants 6,040 patients in the DOPPS. Predictor Answer to question, “How long does it take you to recover from a dialysis session?” categorized as follows: <2, 2–6, 7–12, or >12 hours. Outcomes & Measurements Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between recovery time and patient characteristics, hemodialysis treatment variables, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and hospitalization and mortality. Results 32% reported recovery time <2 hours; 41%, 2–6 hours; 17%, 7–12 hours; and 10%, >12 hours. Using proportional odds (ordinal) logistic regression, shorter recovery time was associated with male sex, full-time employment, and higher serum albumin. Longer recovery time was associated with older age, dialysis vintage, body mass index, diabetes, and psychiatric disorder. Greater intradialytic weight loss, longer dialysis session length, and lower dialysate sodium concentration were associated with longer recovery time. In facilities that used uniform dialysate sodium concentration for ≥90% of patients, the adjusted OR of longer recovery time, comparing dialysate sodium concentration <140 vs 140 mEq/L, was 1.72 (95% CI, 1.37–2.16). Recovery time was positively correlated with symptoms of kidney failure and kidney disease burden score, and inversely correlated with HRQoL mental and physical component summary scores. Using Cox regression, adjusting for potential confounders not influenced by recovery time, it was positively associated with first hospitalization and mortality (adjusted HRs for recovery time >12 vs. 2–6 hours of 1.22 [95% CI, 1.09–1.37] and 1.47 [95% CI, 1.19–1.83], respectively). Limitations Answers are subjective and not supported by physiological measurements. Conclusions Recovery time can be used to identify patients with poorer HRQoL and higher risks of hospitalization and mortality. Interventions to reduce recovery time and possibly to improve clinical outcomes, such as increasing dialysate sodium concentration, need to be tested in randomized trials.

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The absolute number and the prevalence and incidence rates of patients on dialysis continue to rise steadily; the gross mortality rate remained stable. Regional inequities are evident in these rates.

Background: Helminthic infections and allergic disease are highly prevalent in many areas of the world. It is known that IgE antibodies are involved in the pathogenesis of both helminthiasis and atopy. However, the consequences of the presence of helminthic infections in atopic patients are still not completely understood. Methods: Subjects infected by Schistosoma mansoni with more than 200 eggs/g of feces (n = 42) and uninfected subjects (n = 133) were selected from an endemic area of schistosomiasis. The history of allergy and results of the immediate hypersensitivity prick tests with inhalant allergen extracts were registered. Total IgE and IgE specific to S. mansoni and aeroallergens were measured in serum by ELISA. Results: The proportion of individuals with a positive skin test to allergens was higher in the uninfected group (24.3%) than in the group with more than 200 eggs/g of feces (4.8%). The odds of atopy (defined as a positive test for at least one of the antigens) were 5 times higher (odds ratio = 7.0; 95% confidence interval = 1.6–31.1%; p = 0.01) in the uninfected group, after taking into account the potential influence of gender and age. While there was a tendency for higher total and S. mansoni-specific IgE levels in infected patients, an opposite trend, that is higher aeroallergen-specific IgE, was observed in uninfected subjects. Conclusions: There was a strong and statistically significant inverse association between the immediate skin test response to common aeroallergens and infection by S. mansoni. The results indicate that immediate hypersensitivity reactions may be suppressed in S. mansoni-infected individuals.