Acute Hemodialysis May Be Linked to Increased Risk of Premature Death

In a recent study of patients admitted to the hospital with varying degrees of kidney failure but without ESRD, those who received acute hemodialysis were 82% more likely to die within 1 year, after adjusting for confounding factors, than similarly ill patients who did not receive acute hemodialysis. The PLOS ONE findings raise questions about the presumed benefits of acute hemodialysis. The results come from a retrospective cohort study of acute-care hospitalizations in Pennsylvania from October 2005 to December 2007. In 2,131,248 admissions of adults without ESRD, there were 6657 instances of acute hemodialysis.