Returning to dialysis after kidney allograft failure: the experience of the Italian Registry of Paediatric Chronic Dialysis

BACKGROUND: The need for dialysis after kidney allograft failure (DAGF) is among the top five reasons for dialysis initiation, making this an important topic in clinical nephrology. However, data are scarce on dialysis choice after transplantation and clinical outcomes for DAGF in children. METHODS: Patients receiving chronic dialysis < 18 years were recorded from January 1991 to January 2019 by the Italian Registry of Pediatric Chronic Dialysis (IRPCD). We investigated factors influencing choice of dialysis modality, patient outcome in terms of mortality, switching dialysis modality, and kidney transplantation. RESULTS: Among 118 patients receiving DAGF, 41 (35%) were treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD), and 77 (65%) with haemodialysis (HD). Significant predictors for treatment with PD were younger age at dialysis start (OR 0.85 per year increase [95%CI 0.72–1.00]) and PD use before kidney transplantation (OR 8.20 [95%CI 1.82–37.01]). Patients entering DAGF in more recent eras (OR 0.87 per year increase [95%CI 0.80–0.94]) and with more than one dialysis modality before kidney transplantation (OR 0.56 for being treated with PD [0.12–2.59]) were more likely to be initiated on HD. As compared to patients on HD, those treated with PD exhibited increased but non-significant mortality risk (HR 2.15 [95%CI 0.54–8.6]; p = 0.28) and higher prevalence of dialysis-related complications during DAGF (p = 0.002) CONCLUSIONS: Patients entering DAGF in more recent years are more likely to be initiated on HD. In this specific population of children, use of PD seems associated with a more complicated course. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00467-021-05140-6.