New data shows Black and Hispanic patients are more likely to experience a life-threatening bloodstream infection from dialysis treatment compared to white patients.
While dialysis treatment is critical for most patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), the frequent use of needles and catheters in patients’ veins poses an increased risk for dangerous staph bloodstream infections. But Black and Hispanic dialysis patients, who are disproportionately affected by ESKD, are at an even greater risk of contracting an infection while receiving treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new Vital Signs report.
Using data from 2017-2020, the agency examined associations between staph bloodstream infections from dialysis treatment with race, ethnicity, and social determinants of health (SDoH).
Key report findings include:
- More than 800,000 Americans live with ESKD, and more than half of them belong to a racial or ethnic minority group.
- In 2020, more than 14,000 bloodstream infections occurred in patients on dialysis in the U.S., and more than 30 percent were caused by staph.
- Adults on dialysis are 100 times more likely to have a staph bloodstream infection than adults not on dialysis.
- Hispanic patients on dialysis had a 40 percent higher risk of contracting a staph bloodstream infection than white patients on dialysis.
- Black people make up 33 percent of all Americans receiving dialysis, but only 12 percent of the overall U.S. population.
- Patients from areas with increased poverty, crowding, and lower education experienced more staph bloodstream infections.
“Bloodstream infections are preventable in all patients on dialysis. Actions by health care providers, dialysis providers, dialysis partner organizations, and public health professionals can help prevent these infections,” said the CDC in the report. “Extra attention should be focused on people from groups experiencing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic differences in staph bloodstream infections.”
To further health equity among chronic kidney disease patients, the agency recommends providers and organizations:
- Promote practices to prevent and manage chronic conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and treat chronic kidney disease in the early stages to prevent the need for dialysis.
- Educate patients on their treatment options in their preferred language before they develop ESKD.
- Coordinate efforts between the patient’s care team to limit the use of central venous catheters, which pose the greatest risk for infection, for dialysis treatment.
- Empower patients with culturally appropriate resources to ensure they understand infection risks and take proper precautions to help prevent infection.
- Address SDoH interfering with access to care by offering transportation assistance, insurance coverage expertise, social work services, and educational resources and materials in multiple languages.