Conflicting results in dialysis dose studies may have been caused by limitations in the statistical methods used. Early techniques yielded some results showing longer survival times for patients receiving a higher dose of dialysis, while other results indicated that a corresponding relationship did not exist, according to a Science Daily article.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center wanted to compare a new statistical technique--an accelerated failure time model--with conventional methods. The model examines changes in the body that occur when kidneys shut down, leading to toxin build-up in the blood.
The new technique showed longer survival times at a higher dose of dialysis, compared to no significant effect with the conventional method, according to the article. In fact, patient survival increased steadily along with dialysis dose. The work is slated for publication in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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