Early referral and selection of peritoneal dialysis as a treatment modality

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Abstract
The time of patient referral to a nephrologist in relation to residual renal function (RRF) is an important topic of discussion due to its potential impact on clinical outcome and total cost of renal replacement therapy to society. The present discussion is intended to outline the interrelation between early referral to a nephrologist, selection of dialytic modality, clinical outcomes and economic impact. Intuitively, we are prone to assume that early referral has beneficial medical and economic impact. Several recent studies also support this thesis.