European Best Practice Guidelines Research Articles

PRE-dialysis survey on anaemia management.

The PRE-dialysis survey on anaemia management (PRESAM) was designed to assess the care given to pre-dialysis patients in the 12 months before haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, with emphasis on anaemia management. For this epidemiological study, a retrospective chart review was conducted for patients who started haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis between 1 August, 1999 and 6 April, 2000. All adult patients who entered one of the 779 participating centres in 21 European countries, Israel or South Africa were included, except for patients who underwent dialysis only during an acute episode. In addition to demographic characteristics, the study examined the prevalence of anaemia, anaemia management including the use of iron supplementation and epoetin, source of referral to the dialysis centre, comorbidities and major clinical events. A total of 4333 new dialysis patients were included in the survey. At the first visit to the dialysis centre, 68% of the patients had a haemoglobin (Hb) concentration < or = 11.0 g/dl; Hb concentration was positively correlated with creatinine clearance rate (r = 0.43, P < 0.01). Patients who received epoetin had a mean Hb concentration of 8.8 g/dl at the start of epoetin treatment, and 96% of these patients had an Hb concentration < or = 11.0 g/dl. Only 26.5% of the patients received epoetin before dialysis. The length of time under the care of a nephrologist was associated with meeting the European Best Practice Guidelines (EBPG) target Hb concentration, as well as receiving epoetin. Few pre-dialysis patients met the EBPG target for Hb concentration, despite regular nephrology care.

What should the optimal target hemoglobin be?

Partial correction of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) improves anemia-related symptoms. However, controversy remains as to whether total correction of anemia provides benefits over and above those afforded by partial correction. There is some evidence showing that normalization of hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations may improve the cardiac hyperdynamic state in CKD patients and reduce the diameter of the left ventricle. Further studies have shown that normalization of Hb improves cognitive function and physical capacities as measured by quality of life (QoL) tests. Large studies have shown that in dialysis patients there is a close inverse relationship between hematocrit (Hct) levels and mortality and morbidity. Moreover, there is evidence suggesting that Hct levels higher than those recommended by European Best Practice Guidelines (EBPG) and the National Kidney Foundation Dialysis Outcome and Quality Initiative (NKF-DOQI provide better outcomes for patients with CKD. However, when Hb concentrations are increased to normal in selected patients with cardiac disease, congestive heart failure, or ischemic cardiopathy, higher mortality rates are evident. Therefore, while the majority of patients with CKD may experience significant benefits when Hb is normalized, it seems prudent to recommend individualized target Hb concentrations for each patient, taking into account factors such as age, sex, employment status, physical activity, and co-morbidities.

Anaemia management in chronic kidney disease patients: an overview of current clinical practice.

This paper describes three recent, related surveys of anaemia management practice in patients with chronic kidney disease, with particular emphasis on initiation of epoetin therapy. It also compares current practice with the European Best Practice Guidelines (EBPG) for anaemia management. The European Survey of Anaemia Management (ESAM) was a 6 month, longitudinal prospective survey of anaemia management in dialysis patients. Although most survey data concerned patients already on dialysis, some retrospective data concerned initiation of dialysis and epoetin therapy. These findings led to the Predialysis Survey of Anaemia Management (PRESAM), a cross-sectional, retrospective survey of patients beginning dialysis, focusing on referral to renal centres and anaemia management in the year preceding dialysis. The Early Renal Insufficiency Referral Survey (ERIRS) is a further cross-sectional survey currently in progress, investigating referral practices during pre-dialysis care. Collectively, these three surveys provide a wealth of data about pre-dialysis anaemia management. ESAM included data from 14527 patients, PRESAM from 4333 patients, and data from 724 patients enrolled in ERIRS have been analysed. The evidence indicates that, at the time of referral to a renal centre, most patients have haemoglobin concentrations well below the levels recommended by the EBPG. Haemoglobin concentrations are lowest in patients referred within the month prior to the initiation of dialysis. Most patients do not start epoetin treatment until dialysis is initiated, despite having haemoglobin concentrations below the level recommended by the EBPG for the initiation of epoetin. Patients who are referred earlier (i.e. those under the care of the renal centre nephrologist for more than a month before the initiation of dialysis) tend to have higher haemoglobin concentrations and are more likely to be receiving epoetin therapy. Such patients are in the minority, however, indicating that pre-dialysis anaemia management practices continue to fall short of the recommendations of the EBPG.