Mortality from cancer among US hemodialysis patients, 1995-2005.

Background/aims: Concern has emerged that erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) may decrease survival for cancer patients; many patients beginning dialysis have previous cancer diagnoses. As ESA doses have more than tripled in the USA since ESAs were introduced, we aimed to compare annual trends in cancer-specific mortality rates among incident maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Methods: This national, retrospective, incident cohort study included 873,493 patients aged > or =20 years who initiated hemodialysis between 1995 and 2005.

Anaemia and mortality in haemodialysis patients: interaction of propensity score for predicted anaemia and actual haemoglobin levels.

Background: Haemoglobin levels in haemodialysis patients could represent unknown comorbidities, more severe levels of known comorbidities, as well as therapeutic choice. Thus, integrating factors predictive of anaemia with actual haemoglobin levels might improve prognostic discrimination.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 93,087 patients who started haemodialysis between 1998 and 2000.

Trends in intravenous iron use among dialysis patients in the United States (1994-2002).

Background: Two new intravenous (IV) iron products, ferric gluconate and iron sucrose, recently were approved for use in the United States. We report trends in IV iron use in both incident (1994 to 2001) and prevalent (1994 to 2002) Medicare US dialysis patients.

Methods: Included patients had Medicare as a primary payer.

A comparison of peritonitis rates from the United States Renal Data System database: CAPD versus continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: Previous comparisons of peritonitis rates between continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD) have produced varying results.

Methods: Using United States Renal Data System data, the authors evaluated peritonitis rates in 1994 through 1997 incident CAPD (n = 9,190) and CCPD (n = 2,785) Medicare patients. Patients were characterized during a 6-month entry period (months 4 through 9) and followed for a maximum of 2 years (months 10 through 33).

Relationship among catheter insertions, vascular access infections, and anemia management in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Arteriovenous fistulas are the recommended permanent vascular access (VA) for chronic hemodialysis. However, in the United States most patients begin chronic hemodialysis with a catheter. Recent data suggest that VA type contributes to recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) resistance.

Prevalence of anemia in erythropoietin-treated pediatric as compared to adult chronic dialysis patients.

Background: Recent guidelines recommend a target hemoglobin range of 11 to 12 g/dL in pediatric and adult dialysis patients. We compared anemia prevalence in United States Medicare pediatric and adult dialysis patients.

Methods: Prevalent hemodialysis patients (0 to 19 years, pediatric: N= 1692; adult: N= 352,291) and peritoneal dialysis patients (pediatric: N= 597; adult: N= 39,136) treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) from 1996 to 2000 were selected.

United States Renal Data System assessment of the impact of the National Kidney Foundation-Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines.

Since 1989, significant efforts have focused on improving the care of dialysis patients in the United States. Numerous organizations have developed clinical practice guidelines; however, few guidelines have received the broad support given to the National Kidney Foundation-Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative (DOQI). These guidelines, independently developed from an extensive review of the literature, include sections on dialysis adequacy, anemia treatment, and vascular access.