Self-Hemodialysis

Maintenance hemodialysis is presently the mainstay of treatment for the majority of patients with end-stage renal disease. There has been disagreement, however, as to what form the delivery of dialysis should take—self-dialysis, at home, or in-center, as opposed to in-center, limited-care dialysis. This review of the recent literature strongly supports self-dialysis as the optimal form of therapy, since the cost is less, and survival and rehabilitation are better than with limited-care dialysis. We conclude that a greater effort should be expended to encourage and even direct patients toward this form of therapy. (Arch Intern Med136:357-361, 1976)