Table 1.

Patient characteristics for externally supported and nonsupported AVG

	Total Patients		Externally Supported		Nonsupported		P
	n	%	n	%	n	%
n	4402	100.0	990	22.5	3412	77.5
Gender							0.4731
female	2763	62.8	631	63.7	2132	62.5
male	1639	37.2	359	36.3	1280	37.5
Age group (years)							0.8523
18 to 44	249	5.7	51	5.2	198	5.8
45 to 64	1517	34.5	348	35.2	1169	34.3
65 to 74	1569	35.6	350	35.4	1219	35.7
≥75	1067	24.2	241	24.3	826	24.2
Time of vascular access creation							0.3376
before initiating dialysis	1399	31.8	327	33.0	1072	31.4
after initiating dialysis	3003	68.2	663	67.0	2340	68.6
Comorbiditiesa
myocardial infarct	119	2.7	26	2.6	93	2.7	0.8652
congestive heart failure	1354	30.8	281	28.4	1073	31.4	0.0659
peripheral vascular disease	285	6.5	77	7.8	208	6.1	0.0583
cerebrovascular disease	756	17.2	197	19.9	559	16.4	0.0098
dementia	101	2.3	29	2.9	72	2.1	0.1297
chronic pulmonary disease	721	16.4	159	16.1	562	16.5	0.7585
rheumatologic disease	105	2.4	19	1.9	86	2.5	0.2750
ulcer disease	1027	23.3	228	23.0	799	23.4	0.7999
mild liver disease	247	5.6	64	6.5	183	5.4	0.1850
mild diabetes mellitus	2191	49.8	500	50.5	1,691	49.6	0.6007
severe diabetes mellitus	2208	59.2	481	48.6	1727	50.6	0.2608
hemiplegia or paraplegia	93	2.1	15	1.5	78	2.3	0.1376
malignancy	411	9.3	104	10.5	307	9.0	0.1512
moderate or severe liver disease	48	1.1	9	0.9	39	1.1	0.5326
metastatic solid tumor	40	0.9	15	1.5	25	0.7	0.0224
Antiplatelet and anticoagulant usageb (%)
aspirin	6.6 ± 18.0		5.6 ± 15.5		6.9 ± 18.6		0.0685
clopidogrel	2.1 ± 10.5		1.8 ± 9.3		2.2 ± 10.8		0.4180
warfarin	0.3 ± 2.6		0.4 ± 4.2		0.2 ± 1.9		0.0332

^aNo one had AIDS comorbidity.

^bData indicate the usage of antiplatelet and anticoagulatnt medication during the patency days (%) (mean ± SD) defined by (days of anticoagulant use/patency days) × 100%.