title: Home- or Institutional Hemodialysis? - a Matched Pair-Cohort Study Comparing Survival and Some Modifiable Factors Related to Survival.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Survival for dialysis patients is poor. Earlier studies have shown better survival in home-hemodialysis (HHD). The aims of this study are to compare survival for matched patients with HHD and institutional hemodialysis (IHD) and to elucidate the effect on factors related to survival such as hyperphosphatemia, fluid overload and anemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective, observational study, incident patients starting HHD and IHD were matched according to sex, age, comorbidity and date of start. Survival analysis was performed both as "intention to treat" including renal transplantation and "on treatment" with censoring at the date of transplantation. Dialysis doses, laboratory parameters and prescriptions of medications were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After matching, 41 pairs of patients, with HHD and IHD, were included. Survival among HHD patients was longer compared with IHD, median survival being 17.3 and 13.0 years (p=0.016), respectively. The "on treatment" analysis, also favoured HHD (p=0.015). HHD patients had lower phosphate, 1.5 mmol/L compared with 2.1 mmol/L (p<0.001) and no antihypertensives and diuretics compared with 2 for IHD patients at 6 (p=0.001) and 18 months (p=0.014). There were no differences in hemoglobin or albumin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HHD shows better survival compared with IHD, also after controlling for patient selection. This could be caused by better phosphate and/or fluid balance associated with higher dialysis doses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology Skx00E5;ne University Hospital and Institution of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rydell
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Clyne
authors.forename: Mårten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Segelmark
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006437:Hemodialysis, Home / Q000401:mortality* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D054559:Hyperphosphatemia; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality* / Q000592:standards; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance; D055815:Young Adult