Causes of death in older peritoneal dialysis patients--can we depend on registry reports?

Objectives: Despite significant improvements in renal management the mortality associated with dialysis care remains high. Many renal registries report mortality statistics on an annual basis. The objectives of this study were (1) to establish the accuracy of the registered cause of death (CoD) against that determined by a panel of physicians; and (2) to test the feasibility of using the HEMO study CoD classification system in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD).