Underdialyzed patients have high hospitalization and mortality rates. It is unclear if such patients receive adequate dialysis during hospitalization. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated single treatment delivered dialysis dose during hospitalization and compared this to the dosage received at the free-standing outpatient clinics in the same patients. Eighty-four patients (54% male) aged 23–63 years (means ± SD 55.5 ± 14.6) who have been on dialysis for at least 3 months were evaluated. Hypertension and diabetes were the most common diagnoses, while thrombosed graft or fistula accounted for 40% of admissions. The mean dialysis treatment time (Td) was 30 min longer in the outpatient (OP) setting than the hospital (H): 3.6 ± 0.3 vs. 3.1 ± 0.2 h (p < 0.0001). Attained blood flow (QB) was 15% greater in the OP than H: 394 ± 40 vs. 331 ± 54 ml/min (p < 0.0001). The Kt/V was analyzed in 49 of 84 patients; the OP Kt/V was 20% greater than the H Kt/V: 1.38 ± 0.2 vs. 1.11 ± 0.1 (p < 0.0001). A further breakdown of H Kt/V according to access and membrane types showed that patients with functional grafts/fistula had a higher Kt/V than those with temporary accesses 1.14 ± 0.1 vs. 1.07 ± 0.1 (p = 0.01). We conclude that hospitalized patients receive suboptimal dialysis dose, this could have a negative impact on survival if hospitalization is recurrent and prolonged. Kinetic modeling should be routinely performed in such patients and Td should be increased in patients with temporary accesses.

Keywords:
Hemodialysis, Kt/V, Hospitalization, Vascular access
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1998
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