Effects of hierarchical management based on medical alliances on patency of arteriovenous graft in hemodialysis patients / 中华肾脏病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the impacts of hierarchical management based on medical alliance on the patency of arteriovenous graft (AVG),and provide a basis for further exploration of optimal AVG management.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, clinical and follow-up data of patients with AVG established in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021 were analyzed. Patients were divided into medical alliance group and non-medical alliance group according to whether they were under hierarchical management model, and the patency rate of AVGs and the incidence of clinical events were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 328 AVGs were included in this study, which were from 151 hemodialysis centers, including 189 AVGs (57.6%) from 72 centers in medical alliance group, and 139 AVGs (42.4%) from 79 centers in non-medical alliance group. The age of the patients was (55.57±11.80) years, among whom 130 (39.6%) were males and 126 (38.4%) were diabetic. The follow-up time of AVGs in this cohort was 15.5 (9.5, 26.2) months, with 15.4 (9.8, 25.2) months in medical alliance group and 15.5 (9.2, 27.3) months in non-medical alliance group. The incidence of thrombosis or occlusion (0.328 times/patient-year), graft dissection (0.007 times/patient-year), graft infection (0.030 times/patient-year), and catheter utilization (0.043 times/patient-year) in the medical alliance group were lower than those in the non-medical alliance group (0.589 times/patient-year, 0.040 times/patient-year, 0.054 times/patient-year and 0.147 times/patient-year, respectively), and there was no significant difference in clinic follow-up rates between the two group (1.91 times/patient-year vs. 1.94 times/patient-year). The median primary patency time was 17.4 (95% CI 11.3-23.5) months, the median primary assisted patency time was 32.6 (95% CI 25.0-40.2) months, and the median secondary patency time was 47.9 (95% CI 40.0-55.8) months in the medical alliance group, compared with 12.3 (95% CI 9.4-15.2) months, 19.4 (95% CI 14.3-24.5) months, and 34.6 (95% CI 29.3-39.9) months in the non-medical alliance group, respectively. Primary patency were significantly higher in the medical alliance group (77.4%, 62.2%, 39.9%, and 26.6%) than those in the non-medical alliance group (71.1%, 50.1%, 30.6%, and 13.4%) at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months (Log-rank test, χ2=4.504, P=0.034). Primary assisted patency were significantly higher in the medical alliance group (90.9%, 84.3%, 67.1%, and 46.1%) than those in the non-medical alliance group (89.2%, 75.7%, 42.0%, and 16.6%) at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months (Log-rank test, χ2=10.655, P=0.001). Secondary patency were significantly higher in the medical alliance group (96.8%, 91.8%, 84.2%, and 74.0%) than those in the non-medical alliance group (89.9%, 85.8%, 69.3%, and 47.5%) at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months (Log-rank test, χ2=11.634, P=0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that it was a protective factor for primary patency ( HR=0.708, 95% CI 0.512-0.980, P=0.037), primary assisted patency ( HR=0.506, 95% CI 0.342-0.749, P=0.001) and secondary patency ( HR=0.432, 95% CI 0.261-0.716, P=0.001) under the medical alliance model. Conclusion:The hierarchical management based on medical alliances can improve the patency of AVGs and reduce the incidence of clinical events.