Capd Viability: A Long-Term Comparison with Hemodialysis

Abstract

Objective To compare the long-term viability of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) to that of hemodialysis (HD). Design Retrospective study of patients of our institution starting dialysis between January 1,1981, and December 31, 1993, and surviving for at least 2 months. Patients Five hundred and seventy-eight new patients (51.3% on CAPD and 48.6% on HD). Main Outcomes Studied Cox -adjusted assessment of patient and technique survival, and of technique success. Differences in results for two successive periods of time. Results Patient survival did not differ between CAPD and HD after adjusting for age and comorbidity, and significantly improved in the second part of the follow-up (1987 -1993). Technique failure was significantly higher on CAPD, in which it was inversely related to age. The probability of a patient continuing on the first method of dialysis (“technique success”) was significantly lower on CAPD than on HD, but the difference decreased progressively with age and disappeared in patients ≥75 years. Conclusion CAPD is as effective as HD in preserving life in uremic patients in the long-term, and gives better results in the older elderly. In adults, the lower technique success rate may not be a problem for patients with access to a good transplantation program; for others, this drawback must be weighed against the advantages of home treatment.