Intermediate outcomes by race and ethnicity in peritoneal dialysis patients: Results from the 1997 ESRD Core Indicators Project

Background: Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the United States, and approximately 10% of all end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are Hispanic. Few data are available, however, regarding dialysis adequacy and anemia management in Hispanic patients receiving peritoneal dialysis in the U.S. Methods: Data from the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) ESRD Core Indicators Project were used to assess racial and ethnic differences in selected intermediate outcomes for peritoneal dialysis patients. Results: Of the 1219 patients for whom data were available from the 1997 sample, 9% were Hispanic, 24% were non-Hispanic blacks, and 59% were non-Hispanic whites. Hispanic were more likely to have diabetes mellitus as a cause of ESRD compared to blacks or whites, and both Hispanics and blacks were younger than white patients (both p<0.001). Although whites had higher weekly Kt/V and creatinine clearance values compared to blacks or Hispanics (p< 0.05), blacks had been dialyzing longer (p< 0.01) and were more likely to be anuric compared to the other two groups (p<0.001). Blacks had significantly lower mean hematocrit values (p<0.001) and a greater proportion of patients who had a hematocrit level less than 28% (p< 0.05) compared to Hispanics or whites, despite receiving significantly larger weekly mean epoetin alfa doses (p<0.05) and having significantly higher mean serum ferritin concentrations (p<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed significant differences by race/ethnicity for for experiencing a weekly Kt/V urea <2.0 and hypertension, but not for other intermediate outcomes examined (weekly creatinine clearance < 60 L/week/1.73 m², Hct <30%, and serum albumin < 3.5/3.2 g/dL). Conclusion: Hispanics had adequacy values similar to blacks and anemia parameters similar to whites. Additional studies are needed to determine the etiologies of the differences in intermediate outcomes by racial and ethnic groupings in peritoneal dialysis patients.