[Haemodialysis in diabetics with terminal renal failure]

Long-term dialysis treatment of diabetics with terminal renal failure is beset with severe complications. In 19 unselected diabetics in terminal renal failure (13 juvenile diabetics and 6 maturity-onset diabetics) the clinical course during long-term dialysis was observed. A total of 1377 dialyses during 167 months of treatment were performed. Diabetic angiopathy, hypertension, and hyperhydration were the most prominent complications. The interval between the onset of diabetes and the beginning of dialysis treatment was 21,5 years in the juvenile diabetics and 5,2 years in maturity-onset diabetes. The survival time during dialysis was on average 13,2 months for the juvenile diabetics and 0,6 months for maturity-onset diabetics. The patients died chiefly from cardiovascular complications.