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Background Residual kidney function (RKF) is associated with improved survival in peritoneal dialysis patients but its role in hemodialysis patients is less well known. Urine output may provide an estimate of RKF. The aim of our study was to determine the association of urine output with mortality, quality of life (QOL) and inflammation in incident hemodialysis patients. Study Design Nationally representative prospective cohort study Setting & Participants 734 incident hemodialysis participants treated in 81 clinics; enrollment, 1995-1998, follow-up until December 2004. Predictor Urine output, defined as producing at least 250 mL (1 cup) of urine daily, ascertained by questionnaires at baseline and year 1. Outcomes & Measurements Primary outcomes were all-cause and cardiovascular (CVD) mortality, analyzed using Cox regression adjusted for demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics. Secondary outcomes were QOL, inflammation (CRP and interleukin-6 [IL-6] levels) and erythropoietin (EPO) requirements. Results 617/734 (84%) participants reported urine output at baseline and 163/579 (28%) at year 1. Baseline urine output was not associated with survival. Urine output at year 1, indicating preserved RKF, was independently associated with lower all-cause mortality (Hazard Ratio [HR], 0.70; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.52-0.93; p=0.02) and a trend towards lower CVD mortality (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.45-1.05; p=0.09). Participants with urine output at baseline reported better QOL and had lower CRP (p=0.02) and IL-6 (p=0.03) levels. Importantly, EPO dose was 12,000 units/week lower in those with urine output at year 1 compared with those without (p=0.001). Limitations Urine volume was measured in only a subset of patients (42%) but was in agreement with self-report (p<0.001). Conclusions RKF in hemodialysis patients is associated with better survival and QOL, lower inflammation and significantly less EPO use. RKF should be monitored routinely in hemodialysis patients. Development of methods to assess and preserve RKF is important and may improve dialysis care.

Elevated bone mineral parameters have been associated with mortality in dialysis patients. There are conflicting data about calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and mortality and few data about changes in bone mineral parameters over time. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1007 incident hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients. We examined longitudinal changes in bone mineral parameters and whether their associations with mortality were independent of time on dialysis, inflammation, and comorbidity. Serum calcium, phosphate, and calcium-phosphate product (CaP) increased in these patients between baseline and 6 months (P<0.001) and then remained stable. Serum PTH decreased over the first year (P<0.001). In Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for inflammation, comorbidity, and other confounders, the highest quartile of phosphate was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.57 (1.07-2.30) using both baseline and time-dependent values. The highest quartiles of calcium, CaP, and PTH were associated with mortality in time-dependent models but not in those using baseline values. The lowest quartile of PTH was associated with an HR of 0.65 (0.44-0.98) in the time-dependent model with 6-month lag analysis. We conclude that high levels of phosphate both at baseline and over follow-up are associated with mortality in incident dialysis patients. High levels of calcium, CaP, and PTH are associated with mortality immediately preceding an event. Promising new interventions need to be rigorously tested in clinical trials for their ability to achieve normalization of bone mineral parameters and reduce deaths of dialysis patients.

Background and objectives: Prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people with diagnosed diabetes is known to be high, but little is known about the prevalence of CKD in those with undiagnosed diabetes or prediabetes. We aimed to estimate and compare the community prevalence of CKD among people with diagnosed diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes, prediabetes, or no diabetes.Design, setting, participants, & measurements: The 1999 through 2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is a representative survey of the civilian, noninstitutionalized US population. Participants who were aged >20 years; responded to the diabetes questionnaire; and had fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum creatinine, and urinary albumincreatinine ratio measurements were included (N ‫؍‬ 8188). Diabetes status was defined as follows: Diagnosed diabetes, self-reported provider diagnosis (n ‫؍‬ 826); undiagnosed diabetes, FPG >126 mg/dl without self-reported diagnosis (n ‫؍‬ 299); prediabetes, FPG >100 and <126 mg/dl (n ‫؍‬ 2272); and no diabetes, FPG <100 mg/dl (n ‫؍‬ 4791). Prevalence of CKD was defined by estimated GFR 15 to 59 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 or albumin-creatinine ratio >30 mg/g; adjustment was performed with multivariable logistic regression.Results: Fully 39.6% of people with diagnosed and 41.7% with undiagnosed diabetes had CKD; 17.7% with prediabetes and 10.6% without diabetes had CKD. Age-, gender-, and race/ethnicity-adjusted prevalence of CKD was 32.9, 24.2, 17.1, and 11.8%, for diagnosed, undiagnosed, pre-, and no diabetes, respectively. Among those with CKD, 39.1% had undiagnosed or prediabetes.Conclusions: CKD prevalence is high among people with undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes. These individuals might benefit from interventions aimed at preventing development and/or progression of both CKD and diabetes.

Hospitals with automated notes and records, order entry, and clinical decision support had fewer complications, lower mortality rates, and lower costs.

Context In light of conflicting evidence of differential effects of dialysis modality on survival, patient experience becomes a more important consideration in choosing between hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Objective To compare patient satisfaction with hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis in a cohort of patients who have recently begun dialysis. Design and Setting Cross-sectional survey at enrollment in a prospective inception cohort study of patients who recently started dialysis at 37 dialysis centers participating in the Choices for Healthy Outcomes in Caring for End-stage Renal Disease (CHOICE) study, a national multicenter study of dialysis outcomes, from October 1995 to June 1998. Patients Of 736 enrolled incident dialysis patients, 656 (89%) returned a satisfaction questionnaire after an average of 7 weeks of dialysis. Main Outcome Measure Data collected from a patient-administered questionnaire including 3 overall ratings and 20 items rating specific aspects of dialysis care. Results Patients receiving peritoneal dialysis were much more likely than those receiving hemodialysis to give excellent ratings of dialysis care overall (85% vs 56%, respectively; relative probability, 1.46 [95% confidence interval, 1.31-1.57]) and significantly more likely to give excellent ratings for each specific aspect of care rated. The 3 items with the greatest differences were in the domain of information provided (average of information items: peritoneal dialysis [69% excellent] vs hemodialysis [30% excellent]). The smallest differences were in ratings of accuracy of information from the nephrologist, response to pain, amount of fluid removed, and staff availability in an emergency. Adjustment for patient age, race, education, health status, marital status, employment status, distance from the center, and time since starting dialysis did not reduce the differences between peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis patients. Conclusions After several weeks of initiating dialysis, patients receiving peritoneal dialysis rated their care higher than those receiving hemodialysis. These findings indicate that clinicians should give patients more information about the option of peritoneal dialysis.

The risk for death in patients with ESRD undergoing dialysis depends on dialysis type. Further studies are needed to evaluate a possible survival benefit of a timely change from peritoneal dialysis to hemodialysis.

Despite the frequency of cardiovascular death in dialysis patients, few studies have prospectively measured sudden cardiac death in these individuals. Here, we sought to determine the frequency of sudden cardiac death and its association with inflammation and other risk factors among the CHOICE (Choices for Healthy Outcomes In Caring for ESRD) cohort of 1,041 incident dialysis patients. Sudden cardiac death was defined as that occurring outside of the hospital with an underlying cardiac cause from death certificate data. Over a median 2.5 years of follow-up, 22% of all mortality in this cohort was due to sudden cardiac death. Using Cox proportional hazards, we found that the highest tertiles of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and of IL-6 were each associated with twice the risk of sudden cardiac death compared to their lowest tertiles when adjusted for demographics, comorbidities and laboratory factors. A decrement in serum albumin was associated with a 1.35 times increased risk for sudden cardiac death in the highest compared to the lowest tertile. These findings were robust and consistent when accounting for competing risks of death from other causes. Hence, we found that sudden cardiac death is common among patients with end stage renal disease and that inflammation and malnutrition significantly increased its occurrence independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.