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Table 1 Selected patient characteristics of 2010–2013 incident U.S. hemodialysis patients, overall and by readmission pattern in the first 90–365 days of dialysis

From: Long-term outcomes among Medicare patients readmitted in the first year of hemodialysis: a retrospective cohort study

Characteristic

Overall

First-year readmission pattern

No admissions

(Admit-)

Admissions, no readmissions

(Admit+/Readmit-)

Readmissions

(Admit+/Readmit+)

N (%)

128,593 (100%)

65,629 (51.0%)

39,266 (30.5%)

23,698 (18.5%)

Patient demographics

 Mean (SD) age, years

64.17 (14.51)

64.25 (14.39)

65.59 (14.51)

63.26 (14.78)

 Sex (%)

  Female

43.82%

40.46%

46.36%

48.91%

  Male

56.18%

59.54%

53.64%

51.09%

 Race/ethnicity (%)

  Non-Hispanic white

48.67%

47.14%

50.14%

50.46%

  Black

30.93%

31.32%

30.19%

31.09%

  Hispanic

14.13%

14.37%

14.18%

13.39%

  Other

6.27%

7.17%

5.50%

5.06%

Comorbid conditions at dialysis start

 Diabetes (%)

60.36%

57.75%

61.87%

65.07%

 Hypertension (%)

90.37%

91.02%

98.71%

89.67%

 Congestive heart failure (%)

32.53%

29.02%

35.11%

37.99%

 Cerebrovascular disease (%)

10.15%

9.06%

10.94%

11.84%

 Atherosclerotic heart disease (%)

20.47%

18.72%

21.97%

22.85%

 Peripheral vascular disease (%)

15.05%

12.81%

16.41%

19.03%

 Cancer (%)

6.86%

6.65%

7.15%

6.95%

 COPD (%)

9.79%

8.01%

11.05%

12.64%

 Functional impairmenta (%)

16.56%

13.82%

18.31%

21.25%

Access to care

 Received pre-ESRD nephrology care (%)

69.34%

71.49%

68.37%

64.98%

 Vascular access used on first dialysis (%)

  Fistula

20.90%

25.54%

17.51%

13.69%

  Graft

3.72%

3.95%

3.61%

3.25%

  Catheter

75.38%

70.50%

78.89%

83.06%

 Insurance at dialysis start (%)

  Private

9.97%

10.71%

9.37%

8.90%

  Medicare

24.57%

23.89%

25.10%

25.61%

  Medicaid

31.34%

28.73%

32.66%

36.40%

  Other

23.86%

25.57%

23.24%

20.16%

  None

10.26%

11.11%

9.64%

8.93%

  1. P < 0.001 for all comparisons by ANOVA or chi-square, as appropriate
  2. COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ESRD End-stage renal disease
  3. aFunctional impairment defined by needing assistance with at least one activity of daily living, inability to walk, inability to transfer, or being institutionalized