Coping with the transition from end-stage kidney disease to dialysis can be challenging for patients and their care partners. Introducing incident dialysis patients to incremental forms of dialysis is associated with better quality of life and reduced cost. Incremental hemodialysis (HD) has generated significant interest over the last decade with treatments that focus on clinical criteria rather than prespecified Kt/V targets. Incremental peritoneal dialysis (PD) has traditionally focused on the sum of residual renal and peritoneal clearances to achieve a specific Kt/V value. Gradual increases in the PD dose were prescribed as the residual kidney function declined. Adopting a new approach to incremental PD similar to what has been done for incremental HD would obviate the need for Kt/V and focus exclusively on clinical criteria. New incremental PD may be considered less disruptive to incident dialysis patients, and may be more likely to be accepted as treatment. It will also reduce our obsession with small solute kinetics and enhance encounters with patients by focusing instead on the holisitc clinical assessment.
Elderly patients who receive home dialysis (peritoneal dialysis or home hemodialysis) may have reduced survival compared to younger patients. Therefore, it is important to ascertain the goals of home dialysis in the elderly rather than simply fixate on standard metrics such as technique survival. As Canada’s population continues to age, the prevalence of end-stage kidney disease among the elderly population is increasing. Patients with multiple comorbidities are now surviving long enough to be started on dialysis. Although home dialysis has been associated with better survival and improved quality of life, its impact on the frail and elderly populations require further elucidation. Home dialysis patients can either independently perform tasks or have support in the home to safely conduct dialysis. Moreover, patients burdened with frailty and multiple comorbidities who lack support in the home may not be able to perform home dialysis safely. Innovative strategies to improve accessibility to home-based therapies need further exploration. In addition, the concept of goal-directed dialysis promotes more individualized treatment. Future continuous quality improvement initiatives must examine if goal-directed dialysis leads to better quality of life outcomes in the elderly.
ObjectivesHome haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) have seen growth in utilisation around the globe over the last few years. However, home dialysis, with its attendant technical complexity and risk of adverse events continues to pose challenges for wider adoption. We examined whether differences in patients’ learning styles are associated with differing risk of adverse events in both home HD and PD patients.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingTertiary care hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ParticipantsOne hundred and eighteen prevalent adult (≥18 years) home dialysis patients (40 PD and 78 home HD) were enrolled. Patients on home dialysis for less than 6 months or receiving home nursing assistance for dialysis were excluded from the study.InterventionsEnrolled patients completed (VARK) Visual, Aural, Reading-writing and Kinesthetic questionnaires to determine learning styles.Primary and secondary outcome measuresHome HD and PD adverse events were identified within 6 months of completing home dialysis training. Event rates were then stratified and compared according to learning styles.ResultsThirty patients had a total of 53 adverse events. We used logistic regression analysis to determine unadjusted and adjusted ORs for a single adverse event. Non-visual learners were 4.35 times more likely to have an adverse event (p=0.001). After adjusting for age, gender, dialysis modality, training duration, dialysis vintage, prior renal replacement therapy, visual impairment, education and literacy, an adverse event was still four times more likely among non-visual learners compared to visual learners (p=0.008). A subgroup analysis of home HD patients showed adverse events were more likely among non-visual learners (OR 11.1; p=0.003), whereas PD patients showed a trend for more adverse events in non-visual learners (OR: 1.60; p=0.694).ConclusionsDifferent learning styles in home dialysis patients exist. Visual learning styles are associated with fewer adverse events in home dialysis patients within the first 6 months of completing training. Individualisation of home dialysis training by learning style is warranted.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with end-stage kidney disease. Currently, thrice-weekly in-center hemodialysis for 3 to 5 hours per session is the most common therapy worldwide for patients with treated kidney failure. Outcomes with thrice-weekly in-center hemodialysis are poor. Emerging evidence supports the overarching hypothesis that a more physiological approach to administering dialysis therapy, including in the home through home hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, may lead to improvement in several cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular outcomes compared with thrice-weekly in-center hemodialysis. The Advancing American Kidney Health Initiative, which has a goal of increasing the use of home dialysis, is aligned with the American Heart Association’s 2024 mission to champion a full and healthy life and health equity. We conclude that incorporation of interdisciplinary care models to increase the use of home dialysis therapies in an equitable manner will contribute to the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for patients with kidney failure and cardiovascular disease.
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