Vascular access for haemodialysis--an epidemiological study of the Catalan Renal Registry.

Abstract

Vascular access (VA) continues to cause problems in a proportion of haemodialysis (HD) patients. VA complications are a major cause of hospitalization, with the resulting financial consequences and human suffering. The purpose of the study was to assess the types and duration of function of different modalities of VA in Catalunya and to relate them to treatment characteristics, to study the characteristics of patients who necessitated more than four VAs and to describe the factors associated with the start of HD using a catheter.