PURPOSE: This retrospective study evaluated tunneled catheter outcomes in patients aged 75 years and older undergoing hemodialysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients aged 75 years or older receiving hemodialysis comprised the study group. A control group of patients 40-60 years of age was randomly selected from the same dialysis quality assurance database. Demographic data, medical comorbidities, and catheter-specific data regarding indwelling time, function, interventions, and complications were recorded. RESULTS: Sixty-nine tunneled catheters were identified in 23 patients who comprised the study group (13 men and 10 women; mean age, 81.3 years; range, 75-88 y). The mean number of catheters per patient was three (range, 1-8). The mean indwelling time was 137.4 days (range, 2-622 d). Seventy-eight catheters were identified in the control group (n = 29; 14 men and 15 women; mean age, 50.6 years; range, 41-59 y). The mean number of catheters per patient was 2.7 (range, 1-9). The mean indwelling time was 139.7 days (range, 1-994 d). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean number of catheters per patient (P = .83) or the mean indwelling time (P = .93) between the two groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the indications for catheter removal or exchange: infection (P = 1.0), catheter no longer needed (P = 1.0), and physical catheter malfunction (P = .48). The calculated infection rates in the elderly patient and younger control groups were 0.30 per 100 catheter-days and 0.26 per 100 catheter-days, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Tunneled catheter outcomes in patients aged 75 years and older undergoing hemodialysis do not vary significantly compared with those in a younger cohort.
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