[Erythropoietin and transfusions in patients with anemia of chronic renal failure origin : an update view].

Aiming to know the factors that influenced the use of erythropoietin (EPO) in chronic hemodialysis patients, we retrospectively studied 82 patients (41 male), of whom 15 received EPO. No differences, between patients receiving or not receiving EPO, were found in age (46.9 +/- 25 and 57 +/- 13 years respectively), male/female ratio (9/6 and 32/35 respectively), time on dialysis (36.4 +/- 25.6 and 36.8 +/- 31.8 months respectively), dialysis hours (3.19 +/- 0.6 and 3.33 +/- 0.39 h respectively) and proportion of diabetics (6.6 and 20.8% respectively). Prior to EPO use and compared to untreated patients, treated patients were transfused with a higher frequency (60 vs 22%) and with more units/patients/years (0.12 vs 0.08). Hemoglobin levels at the start of the treatment was similar in treated and untreated patients (8.4 +/- 1.46 vs 8.78 +/- 1.97 g/dl). EPO was indicated in 11 patients due to general symptomatology associated to anemia and in 4 due to cardiac failure or angina. We conclude that EPO treatment is indicated in approximately 18% of patients in dialysis. An adequate dialytic treatment may achieve optimal hemoglobin levels with minimal transfusion requirements and without need of EPO, thus reducing costs.