Current evidence shows that survival outcomes are equivalent for dialysis techniques.

Studies that have analyzed survival between hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis have showed heterogeneous outcomes for both techniques, and often confusing, also dependent on many factors. For this reason, it is necessary to know if there are real differences between the two treatments, to put the scientific evidence as a fundamental pillar in the choice of treatment, along with the clinical circumstances of individual patients, preferences and lifestyle of these. A comparative review of survival among dialysis techniques cannot avoid a basic methodological characteristics or attributes, such as appropriate designs such as observational studies with large cohorts, with incidents and no prevalent populations, with "intent to treat analysis "survival analysis and multivariate analysis with adjustments to the main comorbidity. We studied the nine classical main studies (incidents before 2002), presenting similar conclusions: there are no major differences between the techniques outcomes. When performing a stratification and adjustment for comorbidities, peritoneal dialysis has a equivalent or better prognosis in the nondiabetic group, less comorbidity and younger, almost all the publications, and hemodialysis in diabetics, older and more comorbid groups. The recent studies (including incidents after 2002), concluding a similar behavior for the survival HD: DP. Similarly, age and comorbidity influence the patient's outcomes almost identical to previous studies. In the last decade has seen an improvement in the prognosis of patients on dialysis, more pronounced in PD patients, both in the U.S., and Europe, Australia and in Spain (Andalusia analysis also). Finally, by multivariate analysis, we can show that patient survival on dialysis is much more influenced by conditions at the beginning of the treatment, as age, presence of diabetes or cardiovascular disease, rather than the type of technique of dialysis.  

Recovering activity and illusion: the nephrology day care unit.

Day Care Units are an alternative to hospital care that improves more efficiency. The Nephrology, by its technical characteristics, would be benefit greatly from further development of this care modality. The objectives of this study are to present the process we have developed the Nephrology Day Care Unit in the Puerto Real University Hospital (Cádiz, Spain). For this project we followed the Deming Management Method of Quality improvement, selecting opportunities, analyzing causes, select interventions, implement and monitor results. The intervention plan includes the following points: 1) Define the place of the Day Care Unit in the organization of our Clinical Department of Nephrology, 2) Define the Manual of organization, 3) Define the structural and equipment resources, 4) Define the Catalogue of services and procedures, 5) Standards of Care Processes. Protocols and Clinical Pathways; and 6) Information and Registration System. In the first 8 months we have been performed nearly 2000 procedures, which corresponds to an average of about 10 procedures per day, and essentially related to Hemodialysis in critical or acute patients, the Interventional Nephrology, the Clinical Nephrology and Peritoneal Dialysis. The development of the Nephrology Day Care Units can help to increase our autonomy, our presence in Hospitals, recover the progressive loss of clinical activity (diagnostic and therapeutic skills) in the past to the benefit of other Specialties. It also contributes to: Promote and develop the Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology; improve the clinical management of patients with Primary Health Level, promote the Health Education and Investigation, collaborate in the Resources Management, and finally, to make more attractive and exciting our Specialty, both for nephrologists to training specialists.