Dialysis timing may be deferred toward very late initiation: An observational study

The optimal timing to initiate dialysis among patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <5 mL/min/1.73 m(2) is unknown. We hypothesized that dialysis initiation time can be deferred in this population even with high uremic burden. A case-crossover study with case (0–30 days before dialysis initiation [DI]) and control (90–120 days before DI) periods was conducted in 1,079 hemodialysis patients aged 18–90 years at China Medical University Hospital between 2006 and 2015. The uremic burden was quantified based on 7 uremic indicators that reached the predefined threshold in case period, namely hemoglobin, serum albumin, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, potassium, phosphorus, and bicarbonate. Dialysis timing was classified as standard (met 0–2 uremic indicators), late (3–5 indicators), and very late (6–7 indicators). Median eGFR-DI of the 1,079 patients was 3.4 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and was 2.7 mL/min/1.73 m(2) in patients with very late initiation. The median follow-up duration was 2.42 years. Antibiotics, diuretics, antihypertensive medications, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were more prevalently used during the case period. The fully adjusted hazards ratios of all-cause mortality for the late and very late groups were 0.97 (95% confidence interval 0.76–1.24) and 0.83 (0.61–1.15) compared with the standard group. It is safe to defer dialysis initiation among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) having an eGFR of <5 mL/min/1.73 m(2) even when patients having multiple biochemical uremic burdens. Coordinated efforts in acute infection prevention, optimal fluid management, and prevention of accidental exposure to NSAIDs are crucial to prolong the dialysis-free survival.