BACKGROUND Early preparation for renal replacement therapy (RRT) is recommended for patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet many patients initiate RRT urgently and/or are inadequately prepared. METHODS We conducted audio-recorded, qualitative, directed telephone interviews of nephrology health care providers (n = 10, nephrologists, physician assistants, and nurses) and primar...

BACKGROUND Incidence rates of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) vary geographically not only between but within countries. This study uses data from the French REIN registry to quantify the extent to which socio-economic environment, health care supply and medical practice patterns such as early dialysis initiation or greater propensity to accept frail or elderl...

BACKGROUND To examine the time trend and international differences in access to the waiting list and renal transplantation of patients with end-stage kidney disease. METHODS We included all patients (n = 30 961) from Austria, Norway, the Netherlands and Scotland who started renal replacement therapy (RRT) between 1995 and 2003 with their kidney transplant waiting list data (until 31 December ...

. Although variation in RRT incidence rate exists within the four countries of the UK, the overall RRT incidence, reported for the first time this year, appears similar to that observed in a number of demographically similar countries around the world. . Examining the UK alongside the six comparator countries, different patterns of RRT incidence were observed across the age bands and variation ...

BACKGROUND Little is known about the status of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the post-Soviet countries. We therefore investigated the epidemiology and treatment outcomes of RRT in Ukrainian patients and put the results into an international perspective. METHODS Data from the Ukrainian National Renal Registry for patients on RRT between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012 were selected. W...

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication among critically ill patents, and 5% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients require initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT). In recent years, clinical trials have provided evidence-based guidance for some important aspects of RRT management in patients with AKI, such as dialysis dosing and approaches to anticoagulation in patients undergoi...

INTRODUCTION This chapter describes the characteristics of adult patients starting renal replacement therapy (RRT: kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant) in the UK in 2012 and the incidence rates for RRT in Primary Care Trusts and Health Boards (PCT/HBs) in the UK. METHODS Basic demographic and clinical characteristics are reported on patients starting RRT at all UK renal centres. Presentati...

Many studies on the most 'adequate' dose of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury have obtained contradictory results. The previous issue of Critical Care reports a multi-centre study showing that a higher than conventional dose of RRT, whether continuous RRT or intermittent RRT, is not associated with better survival of these patients. This comment...

INTRODUCTION These analyses examine a) survival from the start of renal replacement therapy (RRT), based on the total incident UK RRT population reported to the UK Renal Registry, including the 18% who started on PD and the 7% who received a pre-emptive transplant and b) survival of prevalent patients. Changes in survival between 1997 and 2009 are also reported. METHODS Survival of incident p...

BACKGROUND Many patients with advanced chronic kidney disease are referred late to renal units. This is associated with negative aspects. The purpose of the present study was to characterize late versus early referrals for renal replacement therapy including their renal disease, health care contacts and medical treatment before renal replacement therapy (RRT) and the consequences for RRT modali...