IMPACT OF THE KARNOFSKY PERFORMANCE STATUS ON SURVIVAL AND ITS DYNAMICS DURING THE TERMINAL YEAR OF PERITONEAL DIALYSIS PATIENTS

摘要

Background: Simple and low-cost tools to monitor the risk profile of patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) at high risk of complications and mortality are scarce. One of the tools available to monitor the variation in vitality and dependence levels is the Karnofsky performance status (KPS). This study analyzed the average trends and variation of KPS during the 12 months before death and its independent value in predicting patients' survival.