Knowledge and preferences of substitution treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease

Several modalities of renal replacement therapy (RRT) are available for the treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Patients are likely to face complex medical decisions regarding the type of medical therapy they wish to pursue. A prospective, observational, descriptive and cross-sectional survey case series study was carried out in patients with grade 3-5 chronic kidney disease at the General Hospital ‘Dr. Miguel Silva’ without starting renal replacement therapy. We used descriptive statistics to evaluate the frequency of the categorical variables and measures of central tendency and dispersion for the quantitative variables. The total number of patients included was 20, with a mean age of 54.40±15.93 years and an age range between 24 and 78 years; 55% of the patients evaluated obtained a ‘good’ level of knowledge regarding the types of RRT (HD, PD and renal transplantation). All patients received pre-dialysis information before starting the survey. PD was the preferred RRT modality (45%), followed by kidney transplantation (35%) and finally HD (20%). The patient's level of knowledge regarding his chronic kidney disease allows him to make an informed decision about the choice of the ideal treatment. The most preferred renal replacement therapy for previously educated chronic kidney disease patients is peritoneal dialysis. The distance from the hemodialysis center to your home and work activity are important factors in choosing the type of RRT.