title: Tunnelled haemodialysis catheter and haemodialysis outcomes: a retrospective cohort study in Zagreb, Croatia.
abstract: Studies have reported that the tunnelled dialysis catheter (TDC) is associated with inferior haemodialysis (HD) patient survival, in comparison with arteriovenous fistula (AVF). Since many cofactors may also affect survival of HD patients, it is unclear whether the greater risk for survival arises from TDC per se, or from associated conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine, in a multivariate analysis, the long-term outcome of HD patients, with respect to vascular access (VA).
  
  
  
  Retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  
  This retrospective cohort study included all 156 patients with a TDC admitted at University Hospital Merkur, from 2010 to 2012. The control group consisted of 97 patients dialysed via AVF. The groups were matched according to dialysis unit and time of VA placement. The site of choice for the placement of the TDC was the right jugular vein. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test was used to assess patient survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine independent variables associated with patient survival.
  
  
  
  Patient survival with respect to VA.
  
  
  
  The cumulative 1-year survival of patients who were dialysed exclusively via TDC was 86.4% and of those who were dialysed exclusively via AVF, survival was 97.1% (p=0.002). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, male sex and older age were independently negatively associated with the survival of HD patients, while shorter HD vintage before the creation of the observed VA, hypertensive renal disease and glomerulonephritis were positively associated with survival. TDC was an independent risk factor for survival of HD patients (HR 23.0, 95% CI 6.2 to 85.3).
  
  
  
  TDC may be an independent negative risk factor for HD patient survival.
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Merkur, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Vedran
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pašara
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Merkur, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Bojana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maksimović
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Merkur, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gunjača
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Merkur, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Karlo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mihovilović
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, General Hospital Sisak, Sisak, Croatia.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lončar
authors.affiliation: Polyclinic for Internal Medicine and Dialysis Avitum, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kudumija
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, General Hospital Koprivnica, Koprivnica, Croatia.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Žabić
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Merkur, Zagreb, Croatia University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Mladen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knotek
mesh_terms: D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical / Q000401:mortality; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: hemodialysis; vascular access