Survival and Rehabilitation of Patients on Home Hemodialysis

Despite the wide acceptance of home hemodialysis as an effective therapeutic modality, there is little information about the survival and rehabilitation of substantial numbers of patients undergoing this treatment. Twelve home dialysis training centers reporting to the Health Services and Mental Health Administration have trained 736 patients since 1967; follow-up information is available on 628 patients. Survival for the first year was 86%. Two- and 3-year survivals were 73% and 63%, respectively. Male and female survival figures were comparable, but a comparison by age showed that patients under 30 years had a better survival rate than those over 50 years. The year in which home dialysis began did not seem to influence survival. Cumulative data on rehabilitation showed that 81% were engaged in some activity during the last reporting period, and 62% were carrying on full-time activity. These figures compare favorably with previous statistics and support home hemodialysis as an effective therapy for the uremic patient.