International Variations in Peritoneal Dialysis Utilization and Implications for Practice

Dietary energy intake predicts mortality in Chinese patients with peritoneal dialysis: a single-center 18 years' follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Lower dietary energy intake (DEI) may be associated with increased mortality risk. This study aims to analyze the influence of baseline DEI, time average DEI, and other factors on survival in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

METHOD

It was a single-center retrospective cohort study. Patients who started PD from January 2006 to June 2021 were included in this study and followed up until June 2023. Their baseline (six months after the beginning of PD) demographic, dietary intake, laboratory data, and time varying dietary intake data were collected and analyzed. The relationships between these data and survival were examined using Cox model to estimate death hazard ratios.

RESULT

A total of 794 patients were included in this study, 424 males and 370 females, with a mean age of 58.87 ± 16.02 years. Their mean normalize baseline dietary energy intake (nDEI) was 25.46 ± 6.72 kcal/kg/day, time average nDEI was 24.87 ± 4.74 kcal/kg/day. The median follow-up duration was 46.58 (27.38, 78.52) months in the overall cohort. Based on multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, age (HR = 1.056, 95% Cl = 1.047-1.065, p < 0.001), diabetes (HR = 1.364, 95% Cl = 1.114-1.671, p = 0.003), serum albumin (HR = 0.945, 95% Cl = 0.923-0.967, p < 0.001), blood sodium (HR = 0.973, 95% Cl = 0.954-0.992, p = 0.002), serum urea (HR = 0.974, 95% Cl = 0.953-0.994, p = 0.025), and baseline nDEI (HR = 0.980, 95% Cl = 0.964-0.996, p = 0.017) were significantly associated with mortality. Baseline DPI, BMI and time average nDEI were not related to PD patients' survival. When classified baseline nDEI into 4 groups (< 25 kcal/kg/day, 25-29.99 kcal/kg/day, 30-34.99 kcal/kg/day, and ≥ 35 kcal/kg/day), the univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that the patients with nDEI 30-34.99 kcal/kg/day had the lowest mortality risk (using the DEI < 25 kcal/kg/day group as reference, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study revealed that DEI 30-34.99 kcal/kg/day might be beneficial to the long-term outcome for the Chinese PD population.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.

Real-world effectiveness of hemodialysis modalities: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Results from the CONVINCE clinical trial suggest a 23% mortality risk reduction among patients receiving high-volume (> 23 L) hemodiafiltration. We assessed the real-world effectiveness of blood-based kidney replacement therapy (KRT) with hemodiafiltration vs. hemodialysis in a large, unselected patient population treated prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed pseudonymized data from 85,117 adults receiving in-center care across NephroCare clinics in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa during 2019-2022. Cox regression models with KRT modality and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) status as time-varying covariates, and adjusted for multiple confounders, were used to estimate all-cause (primary) and cardiovascular (secondary) mortality. Subgroup analyses were performed for age, dialysis vintage, COVID-19 status, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

RESULTS

At baseline, 55% of patients were receiving hemodialysis and 45% of patients were receiving hemodiafiltration. Baseline characteristics were similar between baseline modalities, except that hemodiafiltration patients were a median of 2 years younger, had higher percentage of fistula access (66% vs. 47%), and had longer mean dialysis vintages (4.4 years vs. 2.6 years). Compared with hemodialysis, hemodiafiltration was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [Cl], 0.76-0.80), irrespective of COVID-19 infection. The pattern of a beneficial effect of hemodiafiltration was consistently observed among all analyzed subgroups. Among patients receiving high-volume hemodiafiltration (mean convection volume ≥ 23 L), the risk of death was reduced by 30% (HR, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.68-0.72]). Hemodiafiltration was also associated with a 31% reduced risk of cardiovascular death.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that hemodiafiltration has a beneficial effect on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a large, unselected patient population and across patient subgroups in real-world settings. Our study complements evidence from the CONVINCE trial and adds to the growing body of real-world evidence on hemodiafiltration.

International equity in access to home dialysis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Discussion of inequalities and inequities in global distribution of and access to home dialysis.

RECENT FINDINGS

The majority of patients receiving home dialysis receive peritoneal dialysis, but these are concentrated in few countries across the globe. Peritoneal dialysis as the most common form of home dialysis has many advantages in terms of individual freedoms, similar outcomes to haemodialysis, being less costly in some countries, and more scalable than in-centre haemodialysis. Despite this there are many inequities in access at the patient, clinician, health system and geopolitical levels. Poverty, discrimination and lack of support at home are important drivers of inequities at the patient level. At the clinician and health systems level lack of experience in home dialysis, lack of resources and lack of time drive patients towards in-centre dialysis. At the geopolitical level, high costs associated with procurement and distribution of peritoneal dialysis solutions exacerbate inequities in access.

SUMMARY

The challenge of reducing global inequities in access to home dialysis in low- and middle-income countries are vast and would require training of the doctors, nurses, families, patients, leaders and community partners. Once this is achieved, dealing with costs and logistics of supplies is crucial to improve and sustain equitable access.

Probiotic interventions in peritoneal dialysis: A review of underlying mechanisms and therapeutic potentials

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a commonly used modality for kidney replacement therapy for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). PD offers many benefits, including home-based care, greater flexibility, and preservation of residual kidney function compared to in-center hemodialysis. Nonetheless, patients undergoing PD often face significant challenges, including systemic inflammation, PD-related peritonitis, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular issues that can negatively affect their quality of life and treatment outcomes. Recent studies have demonstrated the crucial role of the gut microbiome in overall health and treatment results, supporting the hypothesis that probiotics may bring potential benefits to the general population of ESKD patients. However, specific data on probiotic use in PD patients are limited. This opinion review aims to summarize the current knowledge on the relationship between PD and the gut microbiome and offers a novel perspective by specifically exploring how probiotic interventions could improve the outcomes of PD treatment. The review also outlines some clinical data supporting the effectiveness of probiotics in patients undergoing PD and considers the difficulties and restrictions in their application. Based on the current knowledge gaps, this study seeks to explore future research directions and their implications for clinical practice.

Inflammatory Burden Index: A Superior Prognostic Biomarker of Systemic Inflammation in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis

Purpose

Systemic inflammation biomarkers, derived from routine blood tests, have been demonstrated to be associated with prognosis of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). However, studies focusing on the comparisons of their role on predictive efficacy for prognosis of PD patient are limited and results are inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of various systemic inflammation biomarkers and to identify the optimal one in PD patients.

Patients and Methods

This longitudinal study involved 3,225 patients undergoing PD across China. The prognostic accuracy of systemic inflammatory biomarkers was evaluated using C-statistics. Independent prognostic biomarkers of outcomes were determined using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.

Results

During a 46-month follow-up, 829 (25.7%) patients died, with 458 (55.3%) deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease (CVD). The highest C-statistics were observed for the IBI, with 0.619 and 0.621 for all-cause and CVD mortality, respectively. The optimal threshold of the IBI for predicting prognosis in patients undergoing PD was 50.0. An elevated IBI was a significant independent predictor of all-cause mortality, with a 1-SD increase associated with higher risks of all-cause and CVD mortality. Participants in the upper two quartiles of IBI exhibited increased risks of all-cause mortality by 41.2% and 67.6%, respectively, compared to those in the lowest quartile. Similar results were observed for CVD mortality.

Conclusion

The IBI is a superior prognostic indicator of survival and could be broadly applied for prognosis of patients undergoing PD. Elevated IBI is an independent risk factor for all-cause and CVD mortality.

Dyslipidemia in Peritoneal Dialysis: Implications for Peritoneal Membrane Function and Patient Outcomes

Dyslipidemia is a common metabolic complication in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) and has traditionally been viewed primarily in terms of cardiovascular risk. Current guidelines do not recommend initiating lipid-lowering therapy in dialysis patients due to insufficient evidence of its benefits on cardiovascular mortality. However, the impact of dyslipidemia in PD patients may extend beyond cardiovascular concerns, influencing PD-related outcomes such as the peritoneal ultrafiltration rate, residual kidney function, PD technique survival, and overall mortality. This review challenges the traditional perspective by discussing dyslipidemia's potential role in PD-related complications, which may account for the observed link between dyslipidemia and increased all-cause mortality in PD patients. It explores the pathophysiology of dyslipidemia in PD, the molecular mechanisms linking dyslipidemia to peritoneal membrane dysfunction, and summarizes clinical evidence supporting this hypothesis. In addition, this paper examines the potential for therapeutic strategies to manage dyslipidemia to improve peritoneal membrane function and patient outcomes. The review calls for future research to investigate dyslipidemia as a potential contributor to peritoneal membrane dysfunction and to develop targeted interventions for PD patients.

Impact of renality-CASE training on knowledge, skills, and practices in peritoneal dialysis catheter placement among nephrologists

INTRODUCTION

Despite being an effective home-based kidney replacement therapy, peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains underutilized. The aim of the Renality-CASE training program was to assess its impact on nephrologists by expanding their knowledge of PD therapy and enhancing their catheter placement skills to better offer the PD option.

METHODS

The Renality-CASE program provided two days of training, including theoretical lectures, virtual reality sessions, and hands-on practice of PD catheter placement on live pigs. Eighty-eight participants attended four sessions. An anonymized online questionnaire collected demographic data, self-assessments of knowledge and skills, and feedback. Pre- and post-training comparisons were analyzed using paired samples t-tests and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, with significance at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven out of 88 participants responded to the survey one-year post-training. Post-training, 94.7% felt at least moderately knowledgeable compared to 61.4% pre-training (p < 0.001). Confidence in skills increased to 73.6% post-training from 26% pre-training (p < 0.001). The number of PD catheters placed by participants also rose significantly (p = 0.012). The program received positive feedback and high satisfaction rates.

CONCLUSIONS

The Renality-CASE program significantly improved nephrologists' PD catheter placement skills through comprehensive training. Despite limitations such as sample size and response bias, the study highlights the need for standardized PD training to enhance clinical practice and increase PD utilization in CKD management.

Educational interventions and identification of risk factors to prevent and reduce peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Peritonitis is a common and serious complication of peritoneal dialysis and is one of the main causes of peritoneal dialysis technique failure and long-term hemodialysis conversion.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the review was to identify and clarify peritonitis risk factors and learn about strategies employed at international level to prevent and reduce the occurrence of peritoneal dialysis associated infections and their complications.

DESIGN

A scoping review.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults in pertitoneal dialysis.

MEASUREMENTS

The methodology framework of Arksey and O'Malley and PRISMA for Scoping Reviews guidelines were applied. A search was conducted of PubMed, Scopus and CINAHL using terms to identify peritoneal dialysis -associated risk factors and interventions carried out for the prevention and reduction of peritonitis in adult persons living at home.

RESULTS

The 17 studies selected were based on work carried out in nine different countries. Eleven articles analysed modifiable risk factors (low educational level, being a foreigner and low adherence to aseptic technique) and non-modifiable risk factors (age and comorbidities) that predispose to peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis. The other six studies applied an intervention to improve the prevalence of peritonitis considering educational practices adapted to patient characteristics and the application of retraining.

CONCLUSIONS

Personalised patient training and the identification of risk factors for peritonitis are key to reducing complications and enhancing the survival of peritoneal dialysis patients and the effectiveness of the technique.

Description and outcomes of a staff-assisted peritoneal dialysis program in the United States

BACKGROUND

Staff-assisted peritoneal dialysis (PD) can help overcome barriers to self-care but is not yet available in the United States (US). We developed and implemented a staff-assisted PD program that fits within current regulatory and cost restraints in the US healthcare environment.

METHODS

Patient care technicians (PCTs) were trained on PD procedures and troubleshooting common problems. The program expanded from two centers in August 2020 to sixteen by October 2022. We described the logistic elements of program delivery, and patient and treatment outcomes for patients discharged by end of April 2023, with a cohort follow up until October 2023.

RESULTS

A total of 121 patients were referred to the program. The most common indications for referral were physical function limitations, cognitive impairment, and psychosocial challenges. Staff assistance was provided for 73 patients. Mean age was 72 (standard deviation 14) years. A total of 604 visits were delivered, with a median 5 (interquartile range [IQR] 3-10, range: 1-49) visits per patient. Median duration of assistance was 8 (IQR: 2-21, range: 1-84) days. Assistance was most frequently needed for PD treatment setup and for observing and directing the technique. No peritonitis events or exit-site infections were reported. Sixty-eight patients (93%) were discharged on PD without staff assistance. The 6- and 12-month survival of PD without assistance was 71% and 57%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Staff-assisted PD for limited time periods is operationally feasible with PCTs in the US and can support transitioning and maintaining patients on PD.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04319185.

Network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental verification of the mechanism of huangqi-jixuecao herb pair in treatment of peritoneal fibrosis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The Huangqi-Jixuecao herb pair (HQJXCHP) is a traditional herbal formula composed of two widely applied TCM prescriptions, Huangqi (Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge) and Jixuecao (Centella asiatica (L.) Urb.), used for hundreds of years to replenish qi and clear away heat. However, the therapeutic effects of HQJXCHP against peritoneal fibrosis (PF) and potential targets are currently unclear.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study was preliminary prediction and validation of the effects and molecular mechanisms of action of HQJXCHP against PF based on network pharmacology analysis and experimental verification.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The ingredients of HQJXCHP were analyzed via HPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Bioactive compounds of HQJXCHP used for network pharmacology analysis were obtained from the TCMSP database. HQJXCHP-related therapeutic targets in PF were obtained from the GeneCards, OMIM, Therapeutic Targets and PharmGkb databases. Therapeutic target-related signaling pathways were predicted via GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. The targets of HQJXCHO were further validated in a PDS-induced PF mouse model in vivo and PMCs MMT model in vitro.

RESULTS

A total of 23 bioactive compounds of HQJXCHP related 188 target genes were retrieved. The HQJXCHP compound-target and PF-related target networks identified 131 common target genes. Subsequent protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis results disclosed Akt1, TP53, TNF, VEGFA and CASP3 as the top five key targets of HQJXCHP. Further molecular docking data revealed strong affinity of the two key compounds of HQJXCHP, quercetin and kaempferol, for these key targets. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses further showed that PI3K/Akt, IL-17, TNF and TLR pathways contribute to the therapeutic effects of HQJXCHP on PF. An in vivo PDS-induced PF mouse model and in vitro PMCs mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (MMT) model with or without HQJXCHP intervention were used to confirm the effects and mechanisms of action of HQJXCHP. Western blot and qRT-PCR results showed that HQ, JXC and HQJXCHP reduced PDS-induced inflammatory cell aggregation and peritoneal thickening through suppressing the MMT process, among which HQJXCHP exerted the greatest therapeutic effect. Moreover, HQJXCHP inhibited activation of the PI3K/Akt, IL-17, TNF and TLR signaling pathways induced by PDS.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to employ network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses to predict the targets of HQJXCHP with therapeutic effects on PDS-related PF. Data from in vivo and in vitro validation experiments collectively showed that HQJXCHP delays the PF process through inhibiting PI3K/Akt, IL-17, TNF and TLR signaling pathways. Overall, our findings highlight the successful application of network pharmacology theory to provide a scientific basis for clinical utility of HQJXCHP against PF.

The disruptor of telomeric silencing 1-like (DOT1L) promotes peritoneal fibrosis through the upregulation and activation of protein tyrosine kinases

The disruptor of telomeric silencing 1-like (DOT1L), a specific histone methyltransferase that catalyzed methylation of histone H3 on lysine 79, was associated with the pathogenesis of many diseases, but its role in peritoneal fibrosis remained unexplored. Here, we examined the role of DOT1L in the expression and activation of protein tyrosine kinases and development of peritoneal fibrosis. We found that a significant rise of DOT1L expression in the fibrotic peritoneum tissues from long-term PD patients and mice. Inhibition of DOT1L significantly attenuated the profibrotic phenotypic differentiation of mesothelial cells and macrophages, and alleviated peritoneal fibrosis. Mechanistically, RNA sequencing and proteomic analysis indicated that DOT1L was mainly involved in the processes of protein tyrosine kinase binding and extracellular matrix structural constituent in the peritoneum. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) showed that intranuclear DOT1L guided H3K79me2 to upregulate EGFR in mesothelial cells and JAK3 in macrophages. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence showed that extranuclear DOT1L could interact with EGFR and JAK3, and maintain the activated signaling pathways. In summary, DOT1L promoted the expression and activation of tyrosine kinases (EGFR in mesothelial cells and JAK3 in macrophages), promoting cells differentiate into profibrotic phenotype and thus peritoneal fibrosis. We provide the novel mechanism of dialysis-related peritoneal fibrosis (PF) and the new targets for clinical drug development. DOT1L inhibitor had the PF therapeutic potential.

Systems Innovations to Increase Home Dialysis Utilization

Globally, there is an interest to increase home dialysis utilization. The most recent United States Renal Data System (USRDS) data report that 13.3% of incident dialysis patients in the United States are started on home dialysis, while most patients continue to initiate KRT with in-center hemodialysis. To effect meaningful change, a multifaceted innovative approach will be needed to substantially increase the use of home dialysis. Patient and provider education is the first step to enhance home dialysis knowledge awareness. Ideally, one should maximize the number of patients with CKD stage 5 transitioning to home therapies. If this is not possible, infrastructures including transitional dialysis units and community dialysis houses may help patients increase self-care efficacy and eventually transition care to home. From a policy perspective, adopting a home dialysis preference mandate and providing financial support to recuperate increased costs for patients and providers have led to higher uptake in home dialysis. Finally, respite care and planned home-to-home transitions can reduce the incidence of transitioning to in-center hemodialysis. We speculate that an ecosystem of complementary system innovations is needed to cause a sufficient change in patient and provider behavior, which will ultimately modify overall home dialysis utilization.

Independent risk factors for depression in older adult patients receiving peritoneal dialysis for chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

According to the trend of global population aging, the proportion of elderly patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is expected to increase. However, there are more than 20 million people in China with decompensated kidney function, of which 19.25% are elderly people. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the education years, sleep quality, anxiety status, comorbidities with diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and anemia as independent risk factors for depression in elderly CKD patients. This study explores the clinical mana-gement of elderly CKD patients that should address these risk factors to prevent depression and improve their prognosis.

AIM

To investigate depression risk factors in older patients receiving peritoneal dialysis, aiding future prevention of depression in these patients.

METHODS

This retrospective study included a primary study population of 170 patients with CKD who received peritoneal dialysis from January 2020 to December 2022. We assessed the patients’ mental status using the Beck Depression Inventory Score-II (BDI-II), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Anxiety Inventory Score, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Logistic regression was employed to identify depression independent risk factors among these patients.

RESULTS

The non-depressed group had a significantly longer education period than the depressed group (P < 0.05). The depressed group exhibited significantly higher mental status scores than the non-depressed group (P < 0.001). Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) or CVD had a higher probability of developing dep-ression. Patients with depression had significantly lower hemoglobin and albumin levels than patients without depression (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis of BDI-II scale scores, measuring depression, indicated positive correlations with BDI-II and SAS scores as risk factors for depression in patients with CKD. In contrast, years of education, hemoglobin levels, and peritoneal Kt/V were negatively correlated, serving as protective factors against depression. An analysis of variance for influences with significant differences in the univariate analysis revealed that years of schooling, BDI-II, SAS, PSQI, DM, CVD, and hemoglobin levels independently influenced depression in older patients with CKD.

CONCLUSION

Education, BDI-II, SAS, PSQI, DM, and CVD are independent risk factors for depression in older patients with CKD; therefore, post-treatment psychological monitoring of high-risk patients is crucial to prevent depression.

Multi-center, pragmatic, cluster-randomized, controlled trial of standardized peritoneal dialysis (PD) training versus usual care on PD-related infections (the TEACH-PD trial): trial protocol

BACKGROUND

Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related infections, such as peritonitis, exit site, and tunnel infections, substantially impair the sustainability of PD. Accordingly, PD-related infection is the top-priority research outcome for patients and caregivers. While PD nurse trainers teach patients to perform their own PD, PD training curricula are not standardized or informed by an evidentiary base and may offer a potential approach to prevent PD infections. The Targeted Education ApproaCH to improve Peritoneal Dialysis outcomes (TEACH-PD) trial evaluates whether a standardized training curriculum for PD nurse trainers and incident PD patients based on the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) guidelines reduces PD-related infections compared to usual training practices.

METHODS

The TEACH-PD trial is a registry-based, pragmatic, open-label, multi-center, binational, cluster-randomized controlled trial. TEACH-PD will recruit adults aged 18 years or older who have not previously undergone PD training at 42 PD treatment units (clusters) in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) between July 2019 and June 2023. Clusters will be randomized 1:1 to standardized TEACH-PD training curriculum or usual training practice. The primary trial outcome is the time to the first occurrence of any PD-related infection (exit site infection, tunnel infection, or peritonitis). The secondary trial outcomes are the individual components of the primary outcome, infection-associated catheter removal, transfer to hemodialysis (greater than 30 days and 180 days), quality of life, hospitalization, all-cause death, a composite of transfer to hemodialysis or all-cause death, and cost-effectiveness. Participants are followed for a minimum of 12 months with a targeted average follow-up period of 2 years. Participant and outcome data are collected from the ANZ Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) and the New Zealand Peritoneal Dialysis (NZPD) Registry. This protocol follows the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) guidelines.

DISCUSSION

TEACH-PD is a registry-based, cluster-randomized pragmatic trial that aims to provide high-certainty evidence about whether an ISPD guideline-informed standardized PD training curriculum for PD nurse trainers and adult patients prevents PD-related infections.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03816111. Registered on 24 January 2019.

Choice of the Dialysis Modality: Practical Considerations

Chronic kidney disease and the need for kidney replacement therapy have increased dramatically in recent decades. Forecasts for the coming years predict an even greater increase, especially in low- and middle-income countries, due to the rise in metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and the aging population. Access to kidney replacement treatments may not be available to all patients, making it especially strategic to set up therapy programs that can ensure the best possible treatment for the greatest number of patients. The choice of the "ideal" kidney replacement therapy often conflicts with medical availability and the patient's tolerance. This paper discusses the pros and cons of various kidney replacement therapy options and their real-world applicability limits.

Hospitalization in maintenance peritoneal dialysis: a review

Although hemodialysis continues to be the dominant form of dialysis in the United States, peritoneal dialysis rates continue to rise both nationally and worldwide. Peritoneal dialysis offers patients increased flexibility due to the ability to dialyze at home, leading to potential quality of life benefits for patients. However, questions exist regarding clinical outcomes in patients on peritoneal dialysis and the literature has not recently been reviewed. This review examines hospitalizations within patients utilizing peritoneal dialysis, including comparison to other dialysis modalities. Much heterogeneity exists within the literature, often explained by patient population. Recent data show all-cause, cardiovascular, and infection-related hospitalizations to be high in patients on peritoneal dialysis, although data variation limits conclusions in comparison to other modalities. This review found there is insufficient evidence to suggest admission rates are different in peritoneal dialysis than in-center hemodialysis. While the rate is similar to infectious causes, most studies report cardiovascular complications to be the leading cause of hospitalization. Some evidence suggests that cardiovascular hospitalizations occur at a higher rate in peritoneal dialysis, but further studies are required. The infection-related hospitalization rate appears to be higher in peritoneal dialysis due to rates of peritonitis, but rates of life-threatening bacteremia are lower. Differences in reporting of hospital days vs. length of stay challenge the interpretability of length of stay data between modalities, but patients on PD may spend more days per year in the hospital. In summary, hospitalization is highly prevalent in patients on peritoneal dialysis and few definitive conclusions can be drawn in comparison to other dialysis modalities. In eligible patient populations who desire increased flexibility, peritoneal dialysis is a reasonable modality choice.

Review of Isoflavones and Their Potential Clinical Impacts on Cardiovascular and Bone Metabolism Markers in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Cardiovascular disease is the most important cause of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease, including patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Oxidative stress, systemic and vascular inflammation, and lipid abnormalities are important causes of cardiovascular disease in these patients. Bone disorders are also a common complication in dialysis patients and can lead to bone fractures, decreased quality of life, vascular calcification, cardiovascular disease, and increased mortality. Studies in non-uremic populations have shown that soy isoflavones have beneficial effects on oxidative stress, inflammation, lipid abnormalities, and markers of bone metabolism; however, very few studies in this field have been conducted with peritoneal dialysis patients. This paper reviews the key data regarding the effects of soy isoflavones on cardiovascular disease and bone markers and discusses the role of this nutraceutical in preventing and managing the complications of peritoneal dialysis.

New method of internal fixation in laparoscopic Tenckhoff catheter placement

BACKGROUND

Despite obvious advantages of peritoneal dialysis (PD), mechanical complications are responsible for the failure of PD at early stage. Suture fixation in laparoscopic PD catheter method could reduce mechanical complications. In our study, a simple method to fix PD catheter was developed.

METHODS

Tenckhoff catheter placement was performed in 49 consecutive patients. In the technique, only two trocars were used. With the help of syringe needle and forceps, a loop of silk was prepared at the abdominal wall. The PD catheter was thread through the loop. The silk ligature was tied subcutaneously keeping the catheter suspended from the abdominal wall. Primary outcomes were catheter-related complications. Secondary outcomes were 6-month catheter survival rates and death within 30 days. Data were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

The average operation time was 49.7 ± 15.8 min. Minimum follow-up time was 6 months. No catheter displacement or hernia was detected. One patient had omental wrapping after silk suture rupture, 2 patients had outflow obstruction, and 3 patients had leakage. No one died within 30 days postoperatively. Catheter survival was 95.8% at 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The method we described greatly reduced the risk of catheter displacement and omental wrap. Also, the required instrument and laparoscopic skill were simple.

Clinical Application of Peritoneal Dialysis Catheterization without Capsular Puncture Technique

Objective

To summarize the advantages of peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters without capsular puncture (only one pneumoperitoneum needle) puncture technique conducted by our center.

Methods

The study examines the clinical data of PD patients (including the general situation of patients, intraoperative and postoperative characteristics, and complications) undergoing pneumoperitoneum needle catheterization from January 2019 to May 2021 in the Department of Nephrology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University (the largest peritoneal dialysis center in Zhangjiakou).

Results

A total of 153 surgical cases were collected. There were 91 males and 62 females. The mean (± standard deviation) age was 56.1 ± 18.6 years, and the mean (± standard deviation) follow-up time was 16.7 ± 8.2 months. The average operation time was 30.33 minutes with a standard deviation of 14.80 minutes. The length of abdominal incision is 2.38 ± 0.42 cm, and the blood loss was about 26.3 ± 9.2 ml, including 2 cases of laparoscopic reposition of drift tube, 0 case of pipe blockage, 3 cases of fluid leakage, 1 case of peritoneal dialysis catheter tunnel infection, 4 cases of outlet infection, 12 occurrences of peritonitis, 121.3 patient months in peritonitis, and 0 times in omentum wrapping without bladder injury, incisional hernia, or intestinal injury.

Conclusion

Relative to open operation, the peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters with pneumoperitoneum needle puncture technique has the following advantages: simpler operation, shorter operation time, less bleeding, less injury, less complications, and higher safety. Moreover, there are no additional costs compared with open operation. Thus, the technique is recommended for clinical applications.

Peritoneal dialysis in the modern era

The practice and clinical outcomes of peritoneal dialysis (PD) have demonstrated significant improvement over the past 20 years. The aim of this review is to increase awareness and update healthcare professionals on current PD practice, especially with respect to patient and technique survival, patient modality selection, pathways onto PD, understanding patient experience of care and use prior to kidney transplantation. These improvements have been impacted, at least in part, by greater emphasis on shared decision-making in dialysis modality selection, the use of advanced laparoscopic techniques for PD catheter implantation, developments in PD connecting systems, glucose-sparing strategies, and modernising technology in managing automated PD patients remotely. Evidence-based clinical guidelines such as those prepared by national and international societies such as the International Society of PD have contributed to improved PD practice underpinned by a recognition of the place of continuous quality improvement processes.

Adherence to the ambulatory peritoneal dialysis procedure and limitations of care of older adults or their caregivers

BACKGROUND

Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis is an appropriate technique for older adults and its success is mainly based on the correct exchange technique. However, individuals may present barriers to compliance, due to deterioration of physical and cognitive function, depression, and prevalence of visual impairments.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODOLOGY

A descriptive correlational study was conducted to determine the relationship between adherence to the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis procedure and the limitations of care for older adults with chronic renal failure or their caregivers. For convenience, 54 participants from two institutions were selected. A home visit was made at exchange times and a certificate of sociodemographic variables was applied, data such as training days, time of performing the procedure and number of home visits they received were included. Adherence to the procedure was evaluated with a checklist of correctly performed steps in the dialysis technique with Ultra Bag® twin bag equipment (from Baxter). To measure care limitations, we evaluated near visual acuity with Jaeger's equivalent primer, visual fields with the confrontational visual field test, manual sensory dexterity and acuity with Moberg's Pick-Up test, cognitive function using Folstein's MMSE, and depressive symptoms using the CES-D20 instrument.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

In adherence to the procedure, participants correctly performed an average of 23.42 (SD ± 5.54) steps, which corresponds to 71.72% of the technique. Regarding care limitations, 55.6% presented impaired near visual acuity, 29.6% visual field deficit, 33.3% impaired manual dexterity, 14.8% alteration in manual sensory acuity, 46.3% possible impairment of cognitive function, and 18.5% depressive symptomatology. Participants with greater adherence to the CAPD procedure had better dexterity in the dominant (p = 0.010) and non-dominant (p = 0.010) hand, better sensory acuity of the non-dominant hand (p = 0.023), and greater cognitive function (p = 0.044). It is concluded that the care limitations (manual dexterity, manual sensory acuity, and cognitive function) are related to adherence to the dialytic procedure.

A Quality Improvement Process to Increase and Sustain a Peritoneal Dialysis Programme in the United Kingdom

INTRODUCTION

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains underutilised in the West. The proportion of patients in the UK starting renal replacement therapy (RRT) with PD fell from 7.2% in 2011 to 6.0% in 2016. At our centre, 8.4% of dialysis patients received PD in April 2014. Evidence suggests that home dialysis improves patient clinical outcomes; therefore, a target was agreed to achieve 25% of dialysis patients receiving PD by 2018.

METHODS

A rapid improvement process was introduced, as a quality improvement tool, to increase and sustain the PD programme. With multidisciplinary team support for PD growth, a nephrologist was trained to insert PD catheters. Nurses were trained to provide patients with balanced pre-dialysis information and discuss alternative dialysis modalities with haemodialysis (HD) patients. The "Acceptance, Choice and Empowerment" project raised awareness of home therapy choices, using a peer educator model specifically for ethnic minority patients. Lean methodologies were used to ensure continuous quality improvement.

RESULTS

PD uptake increased from 37 to 84 patients, giving a PD penetration increase from 8.4% to 19.1% between April 2014 and March 2018. Catheter insertions increased from 94 at the end of QI Period 1 to 185 at the end of QI Period 2, representing a 97% increase, with the medical/surgical split remaining stable. Peritonitis rates remained stable, and PD drop off to HD reduced from 52% to 41% during the same period.

CONCLUSIONS

By implementing a rapid improvement process and embedding a quality improvement programme, the number of incidents and prevalent PD patients increased and was sustained.

Burden of kidney disease among patients with peritoneal dialysis versus conventional in-centre haemodialysis: A randomised, non-inferiority trial

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the impact of haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We compared HRQoL between conventional in-centre HD and home-based PD in 1082 newly diagnosed kidney failure patients.

METHODS

This was an open-label, randomised, non-inferiority trial of adult patients with a diagnosis of end-stage kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤ 15 mL/min/1.73 m²) requiring maintenance dialysis from 36 sites in China randomised 1:1 to receive PD or conventional in-centre HD. The primary outcome was the 'Burden of Kidney Disease' assessed using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life-Short Form (KDQoL-SF) survey over 48 weeks and the main secondary outcomes were the remaining scales of KDQoL-SF and all-cause mortality. The effect of PD versus HD on the primary outcome was compared by their geometric mean (GM) ratio, and non-inferiority was defined by the lower bound of a one-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) >0.9.

RESULTS

A total of 725 subjects completed the trial per protocol (395 PD and 330 HD, mean age 49.8 (standard deviation (SD) 14.4) years, 41.4% women). For the primary outcome, the mean (SD) change in 'Burden of Kidney Disease' over 48 weeks was 2.61 (1.27) in PD group and 2.58 (1.35) in HD group, and the GM ratio (95% CI) was 1.059 (0.908-1.234), exceeding the limit for non-inferiority. For the secondary outcomes, the PD and HD groups were similar in all scales. There were 17 and 31 deaths in PD and HD groups, respectively. Patients receiving PD had more adverse events, adverse event leading to hospitalisation and serious adverse events compared to those allocated to HD, but adverse events leading to death and discontinuation of the trial were not different between PD and HD.

CONCLUSIONS

In this trial, PD may be non-inferior to HD on the 'Burden of Kidney Disease' among Chinese kidney failure patients who are of younger age and have lower comorbidity after 48 weeks' follow-up.

Dialysis-network variability in home dialysis use not explained by patient characteristics: a national registry-based cohort study in France

Background

Although associated with better quality of life and potential economic advantages, home dialysis use varies greatly internationally and appears to be underused in many countries. This study aimed to estimate the dialysis-network variability in home dialysis use and identify factors associated with 1) the uptake in home dialysis, 2) the proportion of time spent on home dialysis and 3) home dialysis survival (patient and technique).

Methods

All adults ≥ 18 years old who had dialysis treatment during 2017-2019 in mainland France were included. Mixed-effects regression models were built to explore factors including patient or residence characteristics and dialysis network associated with variation in home dialysis use.

Results

During 2017-2019, 7 728/78 757 (9.8%) patients underwent dialysis at least once at home for a total of 120 594/ 1 508 000 (8%) months. The heterogeneity at the dialysis-network level and to a lesser extent the regional level regarding home dialysis uptake or total time spent was marginally explained by patient characteristics or residence and dialysis-network factors. Between-network heterogeneity was less for patient and technique survival. These results were similar when the analysis was restricted to home peritoneal dialysis or home hemodialysis.

Conclusions

Variability between networks in the use of home dialysis was not fully explained by non-modifiable patient and residence characteristics. Our results suggest that to increase home dialysis use in France, one should focus on home dialysis uptake rather than survival. Financial incentives and a quality improvement program should be implemented at the dialysis-network level to increase home dialysis use.

Value-Based Care and Kidney Disease: Emergence and Future Opportunities

The United States health care system has increasingly embraced value-based programs that reward improved outcomes and lower costs. Health care value, defined as quality per unit cost, was a major goal of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act amid high and rising US health care expenditures. Many early value-based programs were specifically designed for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and targeted toward dialysis facilities, including the ESRD Prospective Payment System, ESRD Quality Incentive Program, and ESRD Seamless Care Organizations. While a great deal of attention has been paid to these ESRD-focused programs, other value-based programs targeted toward hospitals and health systems may also affect the quality and costs of care for a broader population of patients with kidney disease. Value-based care for kidney disease is increasingly relevant in light of the Advancing American Kidney Health initiative, which introduces new value-based payment models: the mandatory ESRD Treatment Choices Model in 2021 and voluntary Kidney Care Choices Model in 2022. In this review article, we summarize the emergence and impact of value-based programs on the quality and costs of kidney care, with a focus on federal programs. Key opportunities in value-based kidney care include shifting the focus toward chronic kidney disease, enhancing population health management capabilities, improving quality measurement, and leveraging programs to advance health equity.

Barriers and opportunities to increase PD incidence and prevalence: Lessons from a European Survey

INTRODUCTION

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains underutilised and unplanned start of dialysis further diminishes the likelihood of patients starting on PD, although outcomes are equal to haemodialysis (HD).

METHODS

A survey was sent to members of EuroPD and regional societies presenting a case vignette of a 48-year-old woman not previously known to the nephrology department and who arrives at the emergency department with established end-stage kidney disease (unplanned start), asking which dialysis modality would most likely be chosen at their respective centre. We assessed associations between the modality choices for this case vignette and centre characteristics and PD-related practices.

RESULTS

Of 575 respondents, 32.8%, 32.2% and 35.0% indicated they would start unplanned PD, unplanned HD or unplanned HD with intention to educate patient on PD later, respectively. Likelihood for unplanned start of PD was only associated with quality of structure of the pre-dialysis program. Structure of pre-dialysis education program, PD program in general, likelihood to provide education on PD to unplanned starters, good collaboration with the PD access team and taking initiatives to enhance home-based therapies increased the likelihood unplanned patients would end up on PD.

CONCLUSIONS

Well-structured pre-dialysis education on PD as a modality, good connections to dedicated PD catheter placement teams and additional initiatives to enhance home-based therapies are key to grow PD programs. Centres motivated to grow their PD programs seem to find solutions to do so.

Good practices for dialysis education, treatment, and eHealth: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Recommendations regarding dialysis education and treatment are provided in various (inter)national guidelines, which should ensure that these are applied uniformly in nephrology and dialysis centers. However, there is much practice variation which could be explained by good practices: practices developed by local health care professionals, which are not evidence-based. Because an overview of good practices is lacking, we performed a scoping review to identify and summarize the available good practices for dialysis education, treatment, and eHealth.

METHODS

Embase, Pubmed, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL databases and Web of Science were searched for relevant articles using all synonyms for the words 'kidney failure', 'dialysis', and 'good practice'. Relevant articles were structured according to the categories dialysis education, dialysis treatment or eHealth, and assessed for content and results.

RESULTS

Nineteen articles (12 for dialysis education, 3 for dialysis treatment, 4 for eHealth) are identified. The good practices for education endorse the importance of providing complete and objective predialysis education, assisting peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in adequately performing PD, educating hemodialysis (HD) patients on self-management, and talking with dialysis patients about their prognosis. The good practices for dialysis treatment focus mainly on dialysis access devices and general quality improvement of dialysis care. Finally, eHealth is useful for HD and PD and affects both quality of care and health-related quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Our scoping review identifies 19 articles describing good practices and their results for dialysis education, dialysis treatment, and eHealth. These good practices could be valuable in addition to guidelines for increasing shared-decision making in predialysis education, using patients' contribution in the implementation of their dialysis treatment, and advanced care planning.

Effect of social deprivation on peritoneal dialysis uptake: A mediation analysis with the data of the REIN registry

BACKGROUND

Social deprivation could act as a barrier to peritoneal dialysis (PD). The objective of this study was to assess the association between social deprivation estimated by the European deprivation index (EDI) and PD uptake and to explore the potential mediators of this association.

METHODS

From the Renal Epidemiology and Information Network registry, patients who started dialysis in 2017 were included. The EDI was calculated based on the patient's address. The event of interest was the proportion of PD 3 months after dialysis initiation. A mediation analysis with a counterfactual approach was carried out to evaluate the direct and indirect effect of the EDI on the proportion of PD.

RESULTS

Among the 9588 patients included, 1116 patients were on PD; 2894 (30.2%) patients belonged to the most deprived quintile (Q5). PD was associated with age >70 years (odds ratio (OR) 0.79 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69-0.91]), male gender (0.85 [95% CI: 0.74-0.97]), cardiovascular disease (OR 0.86 [95% CI: 0.86-1.00]), chronic heart failure (OR 1.34 [95% CI: 1.13-1.58]), active cancer (OR 0.67 [95% CI: 0.53-0.85]) and obesity (OR 0.75 [95% CI: 0.63-0.89]). In the mediation analysis, Q5 had a direct effect on PD proportion OR 0.84 [95% CI: 0.73-0.96]. The effect of Q5 on the proportion of PD was mediated by haemoglobin level at dialysis initiation (OR 0.96 [95% CI: 0.94-0.98]) and emergency start (OR 0.98 [95% CI: 0.96-0.99]).

CONCLUSION

Social deprivation, estimated by the EDI, was associated with a lower PD uptake. The effect of social deprivation was mediated by haemoglobin level, a proxy of predialysis care and emergency start.

Management of Kidney Failure in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: What Are the Best Options?

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the most frequent cause of kidney failure (KF). There are large variations in the incidence rates of kidney replacement therapy (KRT). Late referral to nephrology services has been associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. In many countries, when patients reach severely reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR), they are managed by multidisciplinary teams led by nephrologists. In these clinics, efforts will continue to halt chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and to prevent cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. In patients with diabetes and severely reduced GFR and KF, treating hyperglycemia is a challenge, since some drugs are contraindicated and most of them require dose adjustments. Even more, a decision-making process will help in deciding whether the patient would prefer comprehensive conservative care or KRT. On many occasions, this decision will be conditioned by diabetes mellitus itself. Effective education should cover the necessary information for the patient and family to answer these questions: 1. Should I go for KRT or not? 2. If the answer is KRT, dialysis and/or transplantation? 3. Dialysis at home or in center? 4. If dialysis at home, peritoneal dialysis or home hemodialysis? 5. If transplantation is desired, discuss the options of whether the donation would be from a living or deceased donor. This review addresses the determinant factors with an impact on DKD, aiming to shed light on the specific needs that arise in the management and recommendations on how to achieve a comprehensive approach to the diabetic patient with chronic kidney disease.

Developing a theory to help guide End-Stage Renal Disease Patients to adapt to Peritoneal Dialysis: A grounded theory study

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to develop a theory to help guide patients with end-stage renal disease to adapt to peritoneal dialysis.

BACKGROUND

Taiwan ranks first worldwide in end-stage renal disease incidence and dialysis prevalence. Many patients cannot accept long-term dialysis treatment and thus face several physical and psychological suffering. No theory has yet been developed to help guide patients with end-stage renal disease to adapt to peritoneal dialysis.

DESIGN

A grounded theory approach was used in this study.

METHODS

A theoretical sampling was performed after interviewing 25 patients who had adapted to peritoneal dialysis at a medical centre in Taiwan from January 2018 to September 2018; data saturation was achieved. Data were analysed using open, axial and selective coding and while using the constant comparison technique. COREQ reporting guidelines were utilised.

RESULTS

A substantive theory was developed to help guide patients with end-stage renal disease to adapt to peritoneal dialysis. The core category that emerged from the data collected was 'Confronting peritoneal dialysis to live and co-exist with peritoneal dialysis'. Other key categories linked to and embraced in this core category were as follows: positive self-regulation, regulation of daily life and the process of adaptation to dialysis method.

CONCLUSION

The results could help healthcare professionals to better understand the process of end-stage renal disease patients' adaptation to peritoneal dialysis, thereby facilitating patients' adaptation to dialysis in their daily life, enhancing their quality of life and improving the quality of medical care.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Healthcare professionals could use this theory as reference when providing care for peritoneal dialysis patients to assist them in adapting to life with peritoneal dialysis as soon as possible through positive self-regulation, daily life adjustments and the process of adapting to the dialysis method.

International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas: structures, organization, and services for the management of kidney failure in North America and the Caribbean

The International Society of Nephrology established the Global Kidney Health Atlas project to define the global capacity for kidney replacement therapy and conservative kidney care, and this second iteration was to describe the availability, accessibility, quality, and affordability of kidney failure (KF) care worldwide. This report presents results for the International Society of Nephrology North America and the Caribbean region. Relative to other regions, the North America and Caribbean region had better infrastructure and funding for health care and more health care workers relative to the population. Various essential medicines were also more available and accessible. There was substantial variation in the prevalence of treated KF in the region, ranging from 137.4 per million population (pmp) in Jamaica to 2196 pmp in the United States. A mix of public and private funding systems cover costs for nondialysis chronic kidney disease care in 60% of countries and for dialysis in 70% of countries. Although the median number of nephrologists is 18.1 (interquartile range, 15.3-29.5) pmp, which is approximately twice the global median of 9.9 (interquartile range, 1.2-22.7) pmp, some countries reported shortages of other health care workers. Dialysis was available in all countries, but peritoneal dialysis was underutilized and unavailable in Barbados, Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos. Kidney transplantation was primarily available in Canada and the United States. Economic factors were the major barriers to optimal KF care in the Caribbean countries, and few countries in the region have chronic kidney disease-specific national health care policies. To address regional gaps in KF care delivery, efforts should be directed toward augmenting the workforce, improving the monitoring and reporting of kidney replacement therapy indicators, and implementing noncommunicable disease and chronic kidney disease-specific policies in all countries.

Lessons Learnt during the COVID-19 Pandemic: For Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease, We Should Prioritize Home-Based Treatment and Telemedicine

BACKGROUNDS

The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (CO-VID-19) pandemic has placed worldwide health systems and hospitals under pressure, and so are the renal care models. This may be a unique opportunity to promote and expand alternative models of health-care delivery in patients undergoing renal replacement therapies.

SUMMARY

Despite the high risk of acquiring communicable diseases when undergoing in-centre treatments, only a small proportion of patients are currently being treated with home therapies. Recent data provided by the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN), the REIN French Registry and the Wuhan Hemodialysis Quality Control Center clearly show that patients receiving hospital-based treatment have a 3- to 4-fold greater risk of infection, and a subsequent fatality proportion between 21 and 34%. On the other hand, home-based therapy can be managed remotely, there is little or no need for transport to and from the hospital, and it is less expensive. Besides, the digital revolution in health care with the development of virtual care systems can make home dialysis with telehealth a cost-effective solution for both patients and health-care providers. Such a transition would require specific training for physicians and health-care professionals and a functional re-organization of dialysis centres to improve the skills and expertise in caring for patients at home.

CONCLUSION

The need for more widespread home treatment is the main lesson learnt by nephrologists by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Present and future of kidney replacement therapy in Italy: the perspective from Italian Dialysis and Transplantation Registry (IDTR)

Incidence of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) stabilizes or declines both in Europe and in the US; however, it is predictable that global prevalence of KRT will double by 2030. In this paper, we focus on the patterns of incidence, mortality, and prevalence of KRT in Italy, and we compare, when possible, the findings with other countries. The Italian Dialysis and Transplantation Registry (IDTR) currently collects aggregate data from regional registries. In Italy, KRT yearly incidence is around 160 patients per million population (pmp). This incidence showed an increasing trend up until 2011 with an average annual percentage change (AAPC) of 1.8%, after which it stabilized. Older age is an important determinant for KRT incidence, and it is strongly associated with the variability between Italian regions. Incidence is very stable within patients less than 50 years old; however, it greatly differs between regions for patients over 75 years old, ranging from 400 to 900 pmp. Moreover, the incidence for patients over 50 years old declined from 366 pmp in 2011 to 285 in 2017. An age-period-cohort (APC) model showed a very strong cohort effect, which shows the decline in incidence seems mainly due to the better health conditions of people born after 1940. Mortality rate in KRT patients was 109 per 1000 patient-year (py) between 2011 and 2017 with great differences among treatment modalities: 162 per 1000 py in haemodialysis, 117 per 1000 py in peritoneal dialysis, and 16 per 1000 py in kidney transplantation. Premature death is better detected by the standard expected years of life lost (YLL). The distribution of YLL rate per age shows a sharp increase between 40 and 70 years old both in haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients with an AAPC of 5.2% and 4.1% respectively. Transplanted patients experience a very low YLL rate at any age. KRT prevalence was 1118 pmp in 2017 and it should be close to 1175 pmp by 2025 with a projected increase of transplanted patients' prevalence to 500 pmp, and a decrease of dialysis patients from 714 to 680 pmp. The proportion of patients treated with one of the three modalities strictly depends on age, with a sharp increase of haemodialysis after the age of 50. All data suggests the necessity to improve the care of middle and older age patients who experience the higher incidence of disease and mortality.

Peritoneal dialysis patient selection from a comorbidity perspective

Despite many medical and socioeconomic advantages, peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an underutilized dialysis modality that in most countries is used by only 5%-20% of dialysis patients, while the vast majority are treated with in-center hemodialysis. Several factors may explain this paradox, such as lack of experience and infrastructure for training and monitoring of PD patients, organizational issues, overcapacity of hemodialysis facilities, and lack of economic incentives for dialysis centers to use PD instead of HD. In addition, medical conditions that are perceived (rightly or wrongly) as contraindications to PD represent barriers for the use of PD because of their purported potential negative impact on clinical outcomes in patients starting PD. While there are few absolute contraindications to PD, high age, comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, polycystic kidney disease, heart failure, and previous history of abdominal surgery and renal allograft failure, may be seen (rightly or wrongly) as relative contraindications and thus barriers to initiation of PD. In this brief review, we discuss how the presence of these conditions may influence the strategy of selecting patients for PD, focusing on measures that can be taken to overcome potential problems.

Peritoneal Dialysis Use and Practice Patterns: An International Survey Study

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE

Approximately 11% of people with kidney failure worldwide are treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD). This study examined PD use and practice patterns across the globe.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

Stakeholders including clinicians, policy makers, and patient representatives in 182 countries convened by the International Society of Nephrology between July and September 2018.

OUTCOMES

PD use, availability, accessibility, affordability, delivery, and reporting of quality outcome measures.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH

Descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Responses were received from 88% (n=160) of countries and there were 313 participants (257 nephrologists [82%], 22 non-nephrologist physicians [7%], 6 other health professionals [2%], 17 administrators/policy makers/civil servants [5%], and 11 others [4%]). 85% (n=156) of countries responded to questions about PD. Median PD use was 38.1 per million population. PD was not available in 30 of the 156 (19%) countries responding to PD-related questions, particularly in countries in Africa (20/41) and low-income countries (15/22). In 69% of countries, PD was the initial dialysis modality for≤10% of patients with newly diagnosed kidney failure. Patients receiving PD were expected to pay 1% to 25% of treatment costs, and higher (>75%) copayments (out-of-pocket expenses incurred by patients) were more common in South Asia and low-income countries. Average exchange volumes were adequate (defined as 3-4 exchanges per day or the equivalent for automated PD) in 72% of countries. PD quality outcome monitoring and reporting were variable. Most countries did not measure patient-reported PD outcomes.

LIMITATIONS

Low responses from policy makers; limited ability to provide more in-depth explanations underpinning outcomes from each country due to lack of granular data; lack of objective data.

CONCLUSIONS

Large inter- and intraregional disparities exist in PD availability, accessibility, affordability, delivery, and reporting of quality outcome measures around the world, with the greatest gaps observed in Africa and South Asia.

Socioeconomic Factors and Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Initiation of Home Dialysis

Rationale & Objective

Home dialysis has been underused in the United States, especially among minority groups. We investigated whether adjustment for socioeconomic factors would attenuate racial/ethnic differences in the initiation of home dialysis.

Study Design

Retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting & Population

Adult patients in the US Renal Data System who initiated dialysis on day 1 with either in-center hemodialysis (HD), home HD (HHD), or peritoneal dialysis (PD) from 2005 to 2013.

Predictor

Race/ethnicity: non-Hispanic white, Hispanic, black, or Asian.

Outcome

Initiating dialysis with PD versus in-center HD and HHD versus in-center HD for each minority group compared with non-Hispanic whites.

Analytical Approach

Odds ratios and 95% CIs estimated by logistic regression.

Results

Of 523,526 patients, 55% were white, 28% were black, 13% were Hispanic, and 4% were Asian; 8% started dialysis on PD, and 0.1%, on HHD. In unadjusted analyses, blacks and Hispanics were 30% and 19% less likely and Asians were 31% more likely to start on PD than whites. The differences narrowed when fully adjusted for demographic, medical, and socioeconomic factors. Adjustment for socioeconomic factors reduced these differences between white and black, Hispanic, and Asian patients by 13%, 28%, and 1%, respectively. Blacks were just as likely and Hispanics and Asians were less likely to start on HHD than whites. This did not change appreciably when fully adjusted for demographic, medical, and socioeconomic factors.

Limitations

No data for physician and patient preferences or modality education.

Conclusions

Black and Hispanic patients are less likely to start on PD than white patients, attributable partly, though not completely, to socioeconomic factors. Hispanics and Asians are less likely to start on HHD than whites. This was materially unaffected by socioeconomic factors. More research is needed to determine whether urgent-start PD programs and transitional care units in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas might reduce these disparities and increase home dialysis use among all groups.

Hand function assessment in peritoneal dialysis patient: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

There is variability among centres regarding the utilization of assisted peritoneal dialysis (PD). Functional impairment is one of the leading causes of assisted PD. Tools to assess the patient's ability to manipulate PD devices are required. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of hand function evaluation in PD patients and to test the association between hand function estimation and assisted PD.

METHODS

This was a pilot study of adults treated with PD in a dialysis unit in January 2019. Hand function was evaluated by Purdue Pegboard, Jebsen, Jamar and pinch tests. Relative risks were calculated with a Cox model to evaluate the association between each test and assisted PD.

RESULTS

Among the 43 PD patients included, 16 were autonomous and 27 were assisted in performing dialysis. The Jebsen and Purdue Pegboard tests were completed by 41 patients (95.3%). All patients succeeded in performing the Jamar and pinch tests. The median time to complete all tests was 22 min. After adjustment based on the Charlson comorbidity index, the assembly test of the Purdue Pegboard (RR 0.92 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86-0.98]), total Jebsen (RR 1.01 [95% CI 1.00-1.01]) and Jamar test (RR 0.94 [95% CI 0.90-0.99] with the dominant hand; OR 0.94 [95% CI 0.88-0.98] with the non-dominant hand) scores were associated with assisted PD.

CONCLUSION

The evaluation of hand function of PD patients is feasible in daily practice using the Jebsen, Purdue Pegboard, pinch and Jamar tests and may support choosing the appropriate utilization of assisted PD.

Effects of educational practices on the peritonitis risk in peritoneal dialysis: a retrospective cohort study with data from the French peritoneal Dialysis registry (RDPLF)

Background

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a home-based therapy performed by patients or their relatives in numerous cases, and the role of patients’ educational practices in the risk of peritonitis is not well assessed. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of PD learning methods on the risk of peritonitis.

Methods

This was a retrospective multicentric study based on data from a French registry. All incident adults assisted by family or autonomous for PD exchanges in France between 2012 and 2015 were included. The event of interest was the occurrence of peritonitis. Cox and hurdle regression models were used for statistical analysis to asses for the survival free of peritonitis, and the risk of first and subsequent peritonitis.

Results

1035 patients were included. 967 (93%) received education from a specialized nurse. Written support was used for the PD learning in 907 (87%) patients, audio support in 221 (21%) patients, and an evaluation grid was used to assess the comprehension in 625 (60%) patients. In the “zero” part of the hurdle model, the use of a written support and starting PD learning with hands-on training alone were associated with a lower survival free of peritonitis (respectively HR 1.59, 95%CI 1.01–2.5 and HR 1.94, 95%CI 1.08–3.49), whereas in the “count” part, the use of an audio support and starting of PD learning with hands-on training in combination with theory were associated with a lower risk of presenting further episodes of peritonitis after a first episode (respectively HR 0.55, 95%CI 0.31–0.98 and HR 0.57, 95%CI 0.33–0.96).

Conclusions

The various PD education modalities were associated with differences in the risk of peritonitis. Prospective randomized trials are necessary to confirm causal effect. Caregivers should assess the patient’s preferred learning style and their literacy level and adjust the PD learning method to each individual.

Prediction of the Mortality Risk in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients using Machine Learning Models: A Nation-wide Prospective Cohort in Korea

Herein, we aim to assess mortality risk prediction in peritoneal dialysis patients using machine-learning algorithms for proper prognosis prediction. A total of 1,730 peritoneal dialysis patients in the CRC for ESRD prospective cohort from 2008 to 2014 were enrolled in this study. Classification algorithms were used for prediction of N-year mortality including neural network. The survival hazard ratio was presented by machine-learning algorithms using survival statistics and was compared to conventional algorithms. A survival-tree algorithm presented the most accurate prediction model and outperformed a conventional method such as Cox regression (concordance index 0.769 vs 0.745). Among various survival decision-tree models, the modified Charlson Comorbidity index (mCCI) was selected as the best predictor of mortality. If peritoneal dialysis patients with high mCCI (>4) were aged ≥70.5 years old, the survival hazard ratio was predicted as 4.61 compared to the overall study population. Among the various algorithm using longitudinal data, the AUC value of logistic regression was augmented at 0.804. In addition, the deep neural network significantly improved performance to 0.841. We propose machine learning-based final model, mCCI and age were interrelated as notable risk factors for mortality in Korean peritoneal dialysis patients.

Is self-care dialysis associated with social deprivation in a universal health care system? A cohort study with data from the Renal Epidemiology and Information Network Registry

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomic status is associated with dialysis modality in developed countries. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether social deprivation, estimated by the European Deprivation Index (EDI), was associated with self-care dialysis in France.

METHODS

The EDI was calculated for patients who started dialysis in 2017. The event of interest was self-care dialysis 3 months after dialysis initiation [self-care peritoneal dialysis (PD) or satellite haemodialysis (HD)]. A logistic model was used for the statistical analysis, and a counterfactual approach was used for the causal mediation analysis.

RESULTS

Among the 9588 patients included, 2894 (30%) were in the most deprived quintile of the EDI. A total of 1402 patients were treated with self-care dialysis. In the multivariable analysis with the EDI in quintiles, there was no association between social deprivation and self-care dialysis. Compared with the other EDI quintiles, patients from Quintile 5 (most deprived quintile) were less likely to be on self-care dialysis (odds ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.71-0.93). Age, sex, emergency start, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, cancer, severe disability, serum albumin and registration on the waiting list were associated with self-care dialysis. The EDI was not associated with self-care dialysis in either the HD or in the PD subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

In France, social deprivation estimated by the EDI is associated with self-care dialysis in end-stage renal disease patients undergoing replacement therapy.