Table 2.
Dialysis-related characteristics before and after propensity matching
| Unmatched | Matched | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catheter | AVFAVG | SMD | Catheter | AVFAVG | SMD | |
| N | 4,696 | 399 | 798 | 399 | ||
| Pre-dialysis characteristics | ||||||
| Nephrology care before dialysis initiation | 0.755 | 0.068 | ||||
| Yes | 2,755 (58.7) | 354 (88.7) | 708 (88.7) | 354 (88.7) | ||
| No | 1,195 (25.4) | 16 (4.0) | 41 (5.1) | 16 (4.0) | ||
| Unknown | 746 (15.9) | 29 (7.3) | 49 (6.1) | 29 (7.3) | ||
| Nephrology care duration before dialysis initiation | 0.83 | 0.041 | ||||
| None | 1,941 (41.4) | 45 (11.3) | 90 (11.3) | 45 (11.3) | ||
| < 6 months | 642 (13.7) | 38 (9.5) | 77 (9.6) | 38 (9.5) | ||
| > 12 months | 1379 (29.4) | 245 (61.4) | 477 (59.8) | 245 (61.4) | ||
| 6–12 months | 732 (15.6) | 71 (17.8) | 154 (19.3) | 71 (17.8) | ||
| Dialysis characteristics | ||||||
| Dialysis type at initiation (hemodialysis) | 4682 (99.7) | 398 (99.7) | 0.021 | 794 (99.5) | 398 (99.7) | 0.041 |
| Primary cause of ESRD | 0.333 | 0.092 | ||||
| Cystic Kidney | 41 (0.9) | 17 (4.3) | 23 (2.9) | 17 (4.3) | ||
| Diabetes | 2,359 (50.2) | 206 (51.6) | 410 (51.4) | 206 (51.6) | ||
| Glomerulonephritis | 211 (4.5) | 28 (7.0) | 64 (8.0) | 28 (7.0) | ||
| Hypertension | 1381 (29.4) | 115 (28.8) | 235 (29.4) | 115 (28.8) | ||
| Unknown Cause | 159 (3.4) | 7 (1.8) | 17 (2.1) | 7 (1.8) | ||
| Type of access at dialysis start | 2.892 | 2.892 | ||||
| AVF | 0 (0.0) | 299 (74.9) | 0 (0.0) | 299 (74.9) | ||
| Catheter | 4696 (100.0) | 77 (19.3) | 798 (100.0) | 77 (19.3) | ||
| Graft | 0 (0.0) | 23 (5.8) | 0 (0.0) | 23 (5.8) | ||
| Arteriovenous fistula maturing if catheter* | 5.148 | 5.148 | ||||
| Yes | 0 (0.0) | 73 (18.3) | 0 (0.0) | 73 (18.3) | ||
| Arteriovenous graft maturing if catheter* | 3.093 | 3.093 | ||||
| Yes | 0 (0.0) | 8 (2.0) | 0 (0.0) | 8 (2.0) | ||
| Days before dialysis initiation AVFAVG created | NA | 427.47 (60.58) | NA | NA | 427.47 (60.58) | NA |
| eGFR at baseline (ml/min/1.73 m2) | 26.1 (11.46) | 15.6 (4.26) | 1.218 | 23.4 (10.64) | 15.56 (4.26) | 0.974 |
| eGFR at 12 months (ml/min/1.73 m2) | 11.3 (5.08) | 9.6 (3.96) | 0.363 | 10.1 (4.52) | 9.6 (3.96) | 0.109 |
| Change in eGFR over 12 months (ml/min/1.73 m2) | –15.75 (15.61) | –6.93 (4.98) | 1.015 | –14.24 (10.37) | –6.93(4.98) | 0.898 |
*Subsets of patients may have been inadvertently indicated as having more than one type of access on the dialysis initiation form. Abbreviations: AVF: arteriovenous fistula; AVG: arteriovenous graft; eGFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate.