Comparison of prognosis between emergency and scheduled hemodialysis

Background The survival rate of patients undergoing hemodialysis and other renal replacement therapies has been extensively studied, but comparative studies of emergency and scheduled hemodialysis are limited. Methods This study included 312 patients who underwent emergency hemodialysis and 274 who received scheduled hemodialysis. We investigated the prognostic differences between these two groups of patients, including the short-term and long-term survival rates. Results The overall survival rate was significantly better among the patients in the scheduled hemodialysis group than emergency hemodialysis group. The mortality rate within 3 months of emergency hemodialysis was 4.8%, while that within 3 months of scheduled hemodialysis was 1.1%. Conclusions Significant differences were present between emergency and scheduled hemodialysis, especially the levels of serum creatinine and hemoglobin.