Successful Self-Care Home Dialysis in the Elderly: A Single Center's Experience

Abstract

Objective This study was designed to prospectively review our experience with self-care home dialysis in the 60-years-and-older age group since the commencement of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) in our center in 1989. Design Data on mortality, morbidity, dialysis technique and complications, quality of life, and rehabilitation were collected prospectively. Setting A regional dialysis unit providing full renal replacement services for a population of 292 000. Patients Twenty-five patients (16 male) with an average age of 64.4 years (range: 58.25-76.5 years) at commencement of dialysis. Results All patients were on self-care home dialysis. Patient survival rates were comparable with the national average at 12 months (90% vs 89%) and two years (84% vs 80%). Dialysis therapy was well tolerated and technique survival rates were comparable for both hemodialysis and CAPD. There was a very low peritonitis rate of 1 episode per 28.5 patient-months. Conclusions Self-care home dialysis is a viable therapeutic option with a high degree of technique success and a good quality of life in the older population.