Time trends in initiation and dose of dialysis in end-stage renal disease patients in the Netherlands

Background. The guidelines published by the NKF-Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative (DOQI) in 1997 advocate an earlier start of dialysis in ESRD patients and a higher dialysis dose than usual. We studied the possible influence of the increasing emphasis on adequate dialysis on the management of ESRD patients in The Netherlands in 1993-2000. Methods. The NECOSAD study on the adequacy of dialysis started in 1993. This prospective multi-centre study included ESRD patients older than 18 years who started HD or PD as the first RRT. We analysed the distribution of age, gender, primary renal disease... Mehr ...