Table 4.
Baseline patient characteristics by mean serum digoxin level in the first 90 days of long-term dialysis
| Serum Digoxin Level (ng/ml) |
P | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <0.60 | 0.60 to 0.99 | 1.00 to 2.20 | >2.20 | ||
| N | 381 | 552 | 973 | 79 | |
| Demographic | |||||
| age (years) | 67.1 (0.6) | 70.2 (0.5) | 71.2 (0.3) | 71.9 (1.3) | <0.0001 |
| male gender (%) | 66.7 (1.1) | 63.6 (1.1) | 56.3 (1.1) | 51.9 (1.1) | 0.0005 |
| race (%) | |||||
| black | 24.9 (0.9) | 20.1 (0.9) | 18.8 (0.8) | 22.8 (0.9) | 0.13 |
| other | 7.3 (0.5) | 6.0 (0.5) | 6.4 (0.5) | 2.5 (0.3) | |
| white | 67.7 (1.0) | 73.9 (0.9) | 74.8 (0.9) | 74.7 (0.9) | |
| Access (%) | |||||
| AVF | 20.5 (0.9) | 22.6 (0.9) | 19.9 (0.8) | 19.0 (0.8) | 0.66 |
| catheter | 53.3 (1.1) | 53.3 (1.1) | 56.4 (1.1) | 53.2 (1.1) | |
| graft | 21.0 (0.9) | 20.1 (0.9) | 19.2 (0.8) | 19.0 (0.8) | |
| unknown | 5.2 (0.5) | 4.0 (0.4) | 4.4 (0.4) | 8.9 (0.6) | |
| Hemodynamic | |||||
| SBP (mmHg) | 137.2 (0.9) | 136.6 (0.7) | 136.4 (0.6) | 134.2 (2.2) | 0.62 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 69.0 (0.4) | 67.5 (0.4) | 66.1 (0.3) | 64.6 (0.9) | <0.0001 |
| interdialytic weight gain (kg) | 2.50 (0.05) | 2.40 (0.04) | 2.40 (0.03) | 2.30 (0.10) | 0.09 |
| weight (kg) | 77.8 (1.0) | 75.2 (0.9) | 73.8 (0.7) | 73.4 (3.0) | 0.01 |
| Comorbidity | |||||
| Charleson index | 5.40 (0.09) | 5.20 (0.08) | 5.30 (0.06) | 5.10 (0.20) | 0.44 |
| diabetes (%) | 73.8 (0.9) | 66.8 (1.1) | 69.0 (1.0) | 62.0 (1.1) | 0.07 |
| Laboratory | |||||
| hemoglobin (g/dl) | 11.30 (0.06) | 11.40 (0.05) | 11.50 (0.03) | 11.30 (0.10) | 0.17 |
| albumin (g/dl) | 3.60 (0.02) | 3.60 (0.01) | 3.50 (0.01) | 3.40 (0.04) | 0.005 |
| potassium (mEq/L) | 4.50 (0.02) | 4.50 (0.02) | 4.50 (0.01) | 4.60 (0.06) | 0.30 |
| calcium (mg/dl) | 8.80 (0.03) | 8.80 (0.03) | 8.80 (0.02) | 8.80 (0.08) | 0.80 |
| creatinine (mg/dl) | 5.60 (0.11) | 5.30 (0.08) | 5.20 (0.06) | 5.70 (0.31) | 0.009 |
| Treatment parameters | |||||
| time (hours) | 3.60 (0.02) | 3.60 (0.02) | 3.50 (0.01) | 3.40 (0.04) | <0.0001 |
| dialysate potassium (mEq/L) | 2.39 (0.03) | 2.42 (0.02) | 2.42 (0.02) | 2.37 (0.06) | 0.65 |
| dialysate calcium (mEq/L) | 2.60 (0.02) | 2.60 (0.02) | 2.60 (0.01) | 2.60 (0.03) | 0.18 |
| Medications | |||||
| EPO (1000 U per sessions) | 7.4 (0.3) | 7.4 (0.3) | 7.1 (0.2) | 8.0 (0.7) | 0.56 |
| antiplatelet (%) | 45.7 (1.1) | 48.4 (1.1) | 44.6 (1.1) | 30.4 (1.0) | 0.02 |
| statin (%) | 35.4 (1.1) | 39.1 (1.1) | 37.3 (1.1) | 32.9 (1.1) | 0.57 |
| β blocker (%) | 59.3 (1.1) | 60.0 (1.1) | 60.4 (1.1) | 57.0 (1.1) | 0.92 |
| ACEI or ARB (%) | 51.4 (1.1) | 46.4 (1.1) | 42.0 (1.1) | 44.3 (1.1) | 0.01 |
Data are means (SE). A total of 2564 (56%) patients did not have in-center digoxin level monitoring in the first 90 days of dialysis.
ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; AVF, arteriovenous fistula; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; SBP, systolic blood pressure; EPO, Epogen.