Future efforts to increase the prevalence of fistulas in hemodialysis patients should be directed at both hemodialysis units and patient subpopulations with a low fistula prevalence.

To examine the most effective route (intravenous vs. "pulse" oral), dose (physiologic vs. pharmacologic) and long-term efficacy of calcitriol therapy for secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), we randomized 19 hemodialysis patients with severe hyperparathyroidism to receive over a 36-week study period either pulse orally administered calcitriol and intravenous placebo (pulse oral group; N = 9) or intravenous calcitriol and oral placebo (intravenous group; N = 10). Calcitriol was given intermittently in a double-blinded fashion at an initial dose of 2 micrograms thrice weekly and increased as tolerated up to a maximum dose of 4 micrograms per treatment. All patients received similar daily calcium supplementation (2.5 g of elemental calcium) and low dialysate calcium (1.25 mmol/liter) throughout the study period. At the maximum tolerated calcitriol dose, serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels were significantly greater 60 minutes following intravenous (389 pmol/liter) compared to oral administration (128 pmol/liter). In spite of the different pharmacologic profiles, intravenous and oral administered calcitriol resulted in similar reductions of serum PTH over the 36 week period of observation (P = 0.300), achieving an overall maximum average PTH reduction of 43% (P = 0.016). Long-term intensive calcitriol therapy (independent of administration route), however, failed to decrease parathyroid gland size as assessed by high resolution ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Calcitriol therapy also failed to alter the calcium sensitivity as assessed by serial PTH measurements in response to calcium loading. Increases in serum calcium, but not calcitriol dose or parathyroid gland size, predicted decrements in serum PTH, whereas hyperphosphatemia and the level of PTH suppression derived from the PTH/ionized calcium response curves predicted refractoriness to calcitriol therapy. Episodes of hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia were similar in both treatment groups and limited the dose of calcitriol that could be administered. These data indicate that intermittent intensive calcitriol therapy, regardless of administration route, is poorly tolerated, fails to correct parathyroid gland size and functional abnormalities, and has a limited ability to achieve sustained serum PTH reductions in end-stage renal failure patients with severe hyperparathyroidism.

Factors associated with the prevalence of arteriovenous fistulasVascular access procedures and their subsequent comin hemodialysis patients in the HEMO Study. plications represent major causes of morbidity, hospital-Background. Arteriovenous (AV) fistulas are the vascular ization, and cost for chronic hemodialysis patients [1-4]. access of choice for hemodialysis patients, but only about 20% Over 20% of hospitalizations in hemodialysis patients of hemodialysis patients in the United States dialyze with fistuin the United States are access related, and the annual las. There is little information known about the factors associated with this low prevalence of fistulas. cost of access morbidity has been estimated at close to Methods. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to $1 billion [4]. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) dialysis evaluate the independent contribution of factors associated grafts have decreased longevity as compared with native with AV fistula use among patients enrolled in the HEMO arteriovenous (AV) fistulas [5-8] and are more prone to Study. The analysis was conducted in 1824 patients with fistulas or grafts at 45 dialysis units (15 clinical centers). recurrent stenosis, thrombosis, and infection [9]. Recog-Results. Thirty-four percent of the patients had fistulas. The nizing the superiority of fistulas over grafts, the recently prevalence of fistulas varied markedly from 4 to 77% among published National Kidney Foundation Dialysis Outthe individual dialysis units (P Ͻ 0.001). Multiple regression comes Quality Initiative (DOQI) guidelines on vascular analysis revealed five demographic and clinical factors thataccess [10] recommend an aggressive approach to the were each independently associated with a lower likelihood of having a fistula, even after adjustment for dialysis unit. Specifi-

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It is possible to increase hematocrit to normal levels in hemodialysis with the administration of Epoetin alfa. The increase in hematocrit from 30+/-3% to 42+/-3% is not associated with increased blood pressure.