title: Life expectancy of Chinese patients with chronic kidney disease without dialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Long term dialysis is life-saving for patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). However, in ESRD patients with multiple comorbid conditions, dialysis may actually be futile, and conservative management is advisable. We studied the life expectancy of Chinese ESRD patients treated conservatively.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed 63 consecutive ESRD patients who were treated conservatively in our centre. Duration of survival was calculated from the date of initial assessment for dialysis, as well as the expected date of needing dialysis based on previous trend of renal function decline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of the observation period, 55 patients died. Twelve patients died before the expected date of needing dialysis because of unrelated reasons, while 36 deaths were directly attributed to uraemia. The median overall survival after initial assessment for dialysis was 41.3 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 33.2 to 49.4 months). The median overall survival was 6.58 months (inter-quartile range, 0.92 to 9.33 months) from the theoretical date of needing dialysis. The survival from the theoretical date of needing dialysis did not correlate with patient age, sex, diabetic status, or baseline renal function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Chinese ESRD patients treated conservatively, the median survival is around 6 months after the theoretical date of needing dialysis. Our result provides an important piece of information for the decision of dialysis and patient counselling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China. ccszeto@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Cheuk-Chun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Szeto
authors.forename: Bonnie Ching-Ha
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: Kai-Ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Wing-Fai
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Vickie Wai-Ki
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Kwong
authors.forename: Chi-Bon
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Philip Kam-Tao
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D014511:Uremia / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy