ERYTHROPOIETIN THERAPY AND TRANSFUSIONS F OR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC-RENAL-FAILURE AND ANEMIA

Aiming to know the factors that influenced the use of erythropoietin ( EPO) in chronic hemodialysis patients, we retrospectively studied 82 p atients (41 male), of whom 15 received EPO. No differences, between Pa tients receiving or not receiving EPO, were found in age (46.9 +/- 25 and 57 +/- 13 years respectively), male/female ratio 9/6 and 32/35 res pectively), time on dialysis (36.4 +/- 25.6 and 36.8 +/- 31.8 months r espectively), dialysis hours (3.19 +/- 0.6 and 3.33 +/- 0.39 h respect ively) and proportion of diabetics (6.6 and 20.8% respectively). Prior to EPO use and compared to untreated patients, treated patients were transfused with a higher frequency (60 vs 22%) and with more units/pat ients/years (0.12 vs 0.08). Hemoglobin levels at the start of the trea tment was similar in treated and untreated Patients (8.4 +/- 1.46 vs 8 .78 +/- 1.37 g/dl). EPO was indicated in 11 patients due to general sy mptomatology associated to anemia and in 4 due to cardiac failure or a ngina. We conclude that EPO treatment is indicated in approximately 18 % of patients in dialysis. An adequate dialytic treatment may achieve optimal hemoglobin levels with minimal transfusion requirements and wi thout need of EPO, thus reducing costs.