Table 2 Potential advantages and disadvantages of choosing dialysis versus conservative management

• Possibly longer survival [67, 69,70,71]

• May improve appetite

• May be life saving in some AKI situations

• Social contact/interactions with dialysis staff and patients

• Multiple painful access procedures [74,75,76]

• Loss of residual renal function [7, 60]

• Dialysis related fatigue hypotension, cardiac ischemia, and functional decline [7, 18, 60, 77]

• Increased risk of sudden death and stroke [7, 72]

• Time lost to dialysis and hospitalizations [18]

• High mortality rate, first 3 months [7, 44, 45]

• More likely to die in hospital versus conservative management [2, 18]

• High discontinuation rates [73]