Chronic hemodialysis of spinal cord injury patients.

Fifteen paraplegics with ESRD have been treated at the Richmond VA Medical Center. The cumulative one year survival was 57%. This is somewhat less than expected for chronic hemodialysis patients from the general population. No patients have received a kidney transplant or been supported with peritoneal dialysis for a long period. The rate of acquisition of patients in this center indicates the rate of treatable ESRD is significantly higher in the spinal cord injury population than in the general population.