Correlates of Vascular Access and Nonvascular Access-Related Hospitalizations in Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract
Four hundred and thirty randomly selected hemodialysis patients, aged 20 years and over, were studied to identifiy risk factors for vascular access and nonvascular access-related hospitalizations in the immediately preceding 1 year. Risk estimates for hospitalization were assessed using a multinominal logistic analysis model. We measured functional status, utilizing a 14-point Karnofsky scale, and in a separate analysis of covariance, in which Karnofsky score was the outcome, we examined the relationships of age, gender, ethnicity, renal diagnosis, and hospitalization. Individual comparisons were adjusted for multiple comparison bias by Tukey’s Honest Difference method. There were a total of 508 hospitalizations of which 322 (63%) lasted > 1 week. Two hundred and sixty (60%) patients were hospitalized at least once; 105 (24.4%) for access problems only, 115 (27%) for a nonaccess problem only, and 40 for access and nonaccess-related problems. Access-related problems, accounted for 48% of all hospitalizations. The risk of hemodialysis vascular access morbidity was increased in women (p 64 years) lasted ≧ 1 week (p 1 week than in whites (40.6%) (p