Quality of life of elderly patients on peritoneal dialysis versus hemodialysis: a single-center study.

BACKGROUND: The number of elderly dialysis patients in Japan is dramatically increasing. Receiving therapy with better satisfaction through home care is one of the important factors in their daily lives. Thus, the quality of life of elderly patients on hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD) was evaluated.

METHODS: Clinical information of patients aged ≥80 years who started dialysis at our hospital between January 2013 and December 2015 was retrospectively collected. The mortality rate, length of hospitalization, and place of death were identified to evaluate patient quality of life.

RESULTS: In total, 56 patients (14 PD and 42 HD) were enrolled. The mean age of study subjects was 85.2 ± 4.0 years. The proportion of PD patients who lived with their family or have professional caregivers who could assist them in their daily life was higher than that of HD patients (100 vs. 76.2%, respectively; p = 0.044). Mortality rate was higher in PD patients than in HD patients (p = 0.003), but long-term hospitalization of >180 days was observed only in HD patients (PD vs. HD: 0.0 vs. 16.7%; p = 0.102). In patients with Barthel index scores <100, the long-term hospitalization difference was significant (PD vs. HD: 0.0 vs. 30.4%; p = 0.040). Of note, 6 of 7 deceased PD patients and 1 of 10 deceased HD patients died at home (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION: PD is a desirable home care therapy for elderly patients, but the burden on caregivers should be considered.