Clinico-Epidemiological Profile of Dialysis Services in Karnataka, India – A Multicentric Exploratory Study

INTRODUCTION: New challenges in dialysis care delivery confront caregivers with the rise in dialysis numbers. There are significant lacunae in the knowledge and efficient application of dialysis therapy in the absence of a dialysis registry. This multicentric study was conducted by the Nephrology Association of Karnataka to systematically study patient demographics and dialysis characteristics in Karnataka state, India, as a basis for a statewide dialysis registry. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were collected from the consenting dialysis centers after institutional ethics board clearances. Residents of Karnataka state, who were confirmed prevalent patients with end-stage renal disease, on either maintenance hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis were included. Demographic data of patients and details of dialysis as well as dialysis facilities were collected on an online platform. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software Version 16. RESULTS: Thirty-two centers contributed to the data of 2,050 patients (males 70.3%, mean age 53.49 ± 14.09 years). Most patients were on HD (95.3%). Diabetes was the commonest cause of chronic kidney disease. About 72% of patients had temporary venous catheters as initial vascular access. In all, 1,156 patients (59.9%) were on thrice weekly HD. Around 65% of the centers were in private hospitals. The majority (90%) of the centers reused dialyzers, 56% reprocessed dialyzers mechanically, and 66% tested viral serology quarterly. CONCLUSIONS: This study was one of the initial attempts to capture dialysis data across Karnataka, and it offers useful insight into the existing dialysis demographics and care delivery. Participation of more centers and continued effort to form a dialysis registry for deriving meaningful clinico-epidemiological insight are desirable.