The very old on hemodialysis: 8 years' experience in a single unit.
BACKGROUND
Elderly patients constitute a significant proportion of chronically dialyzed patients. This study evaluated mortality rates and predictors of mortality among very old patients receiving chronic hemodialysis (HDx).


METHODS
A single-center retrospective analysis was carried out on patients >84 years of age who started chronic dialysis between 2004 and 2012. Univariate and multivariate analyses determined which parameters predicted survival.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine hemodialyzed patients (19 males) were studied. Mean age was 88 ± 3 years. Median survival time was 38 months (range 4-96). One-year and 2-year survival probability was 80 and 65%, respectively. The most common cause of death was complicated peripheral vascular disease. Multivariate analysis revealed the following: for each 1 g/dl decrease in serum albumin level, the hazard ratio for patient death was 2.63 (p = 0.017), and for each weekly HDx treatment time decrease of 1 h, the hazard ratio for patient death was 1.40 (p = 0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
Very elderly patients can be hemodialyzed with cautious optimism.
Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel.
Boris
B
Zingerman
Asher
A
Korzets
Yaacov
Y
Ori
Michal
M
Herman-Edelstein
Benaya
B
Rozen-Zvi
Uzi
U
Gafter
Avry
A
Chagnac
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D016019:Survival Analysis
D012709:Serum Albumin