Professional paper
SPECIFICITY OF DIALYSIS IN THE ELDERLY – DILEMMAS
DRAGAN KLARIĆ
; Zadar General Hospital, Department of Dialysis, Zadar, Croatia
PETRA GRBIĆ PAVLOVIĆ
; Zadar General Hospital, Department of Dialysis, Zadar, Croatia
VERA KLARIĆ
; Zadar General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Zadar, Croatia
Abstract
The global increase in the proportion of older population contributes to the increasing number of patients with renal insufficiency. This disorder particularly involves the old (age 70-75) and very old (over 80) population groups. The number of comorbidities is increasing and life expectancy reduced with aging. Cross-sectional analysis of ten-year survival showed a rate of 33.9% in patients treated at the Hemodialysis Center, 23.81% in transplanted patients and 19.35% in dialyzed patients. In patients having started hemodialysis (HD) at the age of ≥70, the mean survival was 20.27±18.62 months, in those that died 15.54±17.35 months, and in survivors 30.29±17.85 months. Among HD treated patients, 35% survived for up to one year, 18% for two years and 8% for ≥3 years. Karnofsky index was below 50% in all patients that survived, while the Malnutrition Inflammation Score and Subjective Global Assessment indicated malnutrition. In Croatia, the number of HD patients is constantly increasing as the result of population aging, better, accessible and equal health care that prolongs life span, easier access to substitution methods, more accesses to the vascular system, development of the national transplant network and good immunosuppressive therapy. All this provides biological, economic and normative space for replacement therapy. Old age, comorbidities and poor nutritional status influence high mortality, poor functional status and impaired quality of life. Survival results correspond to reports in the literature.
Keywords
elderly patients; dialysis, survival
Hrčak ID:
180123
URI
Publication date:
6.4.2017.
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