Survival of patients under renal replacement therapy (RRT), admitted in 2000 according to the entry modality, Brazil 2000 – 2004

Introduction: Chronic renal disease (CRD) presents an increase in the incidence rate. Dimensioning the survival of patients under RRT in Brazil enables to assess future perspectives for specific policies of this harm.  
Objectives: Analyze the survival of patients admitted in 2000, under RRT, who remained in the same modality since the beginning of the treatment.
Method: The National Base in RRT was used to analyze. Was selected patients admitted in 2000, with at least 3 consecutive months of treatment, who developed during all period the same dialysis modality. The comparison variables were: sex, age, Brazilian region of residence to the entry and the basic cause of the CRD. The survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and the proportional hazards model (Cox) was used to identify associated variables.  
Results: Of the 11.602 patients, 90% under hemodyalisis (HD), 10% under peritoneal dyalisis (PD). The average age of the HD patients was 53 years old, 57,8% male, and had as basic causes high blood pressure (27%) and diabetes (18%).  Of those beginning under PD, the average age was 57 years old, 47% male, and the basic causes of CRD were diabetes (22%) and high blood pressure (19%). The average of survival of those under HD (37 months) was significantly higher than for those under PD (26 months) (log rank, p <0.05). Analyzing all the group the variables associated to the instantaneous risk of dying were female sex (RR=1,08 IC=1,03-1,13), age (RR=1,03 IC=1,02-1,03), residence in north region (RR=1,24 IC=1,05-1,47), diabetes as base cause (RR=1,24 IC=1,16-1,32) and begin under PD (RR=1,63 IC=1,51-1,75).
Conclusion: It is necessary to deepen the effect of the patient’s pathway among several modalities in their survival, since besides sex, age, having diabetes and residing in north region, beginning under PD presents a greater death risk and a shorter period of survival.