engleski

Haemodialysis in patients older than 80 age

Introduction and Aims: Due to progress in medicine and change in life style the life expectancy is longer. Today patients with many chronic disease as chronic kidney disease live longer. Therefore the number of older uremic population increases everyday. The aim of this study was to analyse patients population older than 80 years. Methods: All patients aged 80 year and more started haemodialysis treatment in our dialysis centre before the end of year 2005 were included in study. In this period 23 patients older than 80 years started haemodialysis, nine female (39%) and 14 male (61%). Median age was 82 years (80 to 87 years). Quality of life was analysed by Kornofsky score. Results: First patient older than 80 age was admitted on dialysis treatment during 1987, second patient during 1995. Next five years three patients started with haemodialysis. In 2000 three patents, during 2001 only one, 2002 two, 2003 five, 2004 six and 2005 four patients older than 80 years started regular haemodialysis. The cause of kidney failure was nephrosclerosis in 11 patients (47, 8%), diabetic nephropathy in four patients (17, 3%) and pyelonephrits in three patients (13%). Only three patients have regular control in nephrology outpatient clinic before starting haemodialysis and they had construction arteriovenous fistula one month or longer before starting haemodialysis. In six patients Kornofsky score was 90 and more and in seven patents was 55 and less. Three patients gave up of treatment by haemodialysis short time before started with dialysis. Up to 31th December 2005 eleven patents died. Cause of dead was cardiac in four patients, cerebrovascular in three, malignant disease in two and sepsis in one patient. Their survival was three to 37 months. Median survival was nine months. Twelve patients are still alive. They are on haemodialysis treatment between two and 54 months, median was 20 months. Conclusions: Patients older than 80 years are not rarely on dialysis treatment. In our group of older patients nephrosclerosis was leading cause of kidney failure. We now that patients on dialysis have poorly survival rate of patients aged 80 years and more on haemodialysis is less than other people similarly ages or younger patients on haemodialysis. Treatment of haemodialysis could prolong their life, but we must think also about their quality of life not only about survival rate.

hemodialysis; older patients

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