Risks of central nervous system infections and related mortality in patients undergoing dialysis

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the risks of central nervous system (CNS) infections and related mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis. Methods: Incident dialysis patients were identified from 2000 to 2013. The risks of CNS infection and related mortality were analyzed. Results: The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of CNS infection in the ESRD group compared with the control group was 3.46 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.75–4.35). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 90-day mortality following CNS infections in the ESRD group in comparison with the control group was 5.99 (95% CI 2.78–12.9). The adjusted HR of overall CNS infection for the peritoneal dialysis (PD) group in comparison with the hemodialysis (HD) group was 1.07 (95% CI 0.63–1.82). Influenza vaccination was associated with a lower risks of CNS infection in dialysis patients (adjusted HR: 0.38, 95% CI 0.30–0.48). The adjusted OR of 90-day mortality following CNS infection for the PD group in comparison with the HD group was 1.01 (95% CI 0.55–1.87). Conclusions: The risks of CNS infections and related mortality were remarkably high in dialysis patients with no significant difference between patients with ESRD under HD and PD treatment.