A sweeping 15-year analysis of American hospital records reveals troubling racial disparities among patients receiving peritoneal dialysis, a home-based kidney treatment. The study examined over 82,000 hospitalizations and found markedly different patterns of complications and costs across racial groups.
Black patients experienced higher rates of serious complications including peritonitis infections, mechanical problems with dialysis equipment, and dangerous fluid buildup. Yet paradoxically, they had lower death rates and incurred reduced hospital costs compared to white patients. Black patients also received palliative care services far less frequently.
Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander patients faced a different burden. Both groups endured elevated complication rates and substantially higher hospitalization expenses—Hispanic patients’ c
osts averaged nearly $17,000 more than white patients, while Asian/Pacific Islander costs exceeded white patients by over $29,000.
The researchers identified additional disparities in treatment patterns. Hispanic patients were more likely to require blood transfusions and catheter adjustments but less likely to receive palliative care. Asian/Pacific Islander patients needed mechanical ventilation and blood transfusions more often.
These findings expose complex inequities in kidney care that extend beyond simple access issues. The divergence between complication rates, mortality outcomes, and costs suggests systemic differences in how minority patients are treated during hospitalization. The authors emphasize the urgent need for healthcare policies addressing these disparities and improving culturally responsive care for dialysis patients across all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
See: “Racial disparities in in-hospital outcomes and costs among U.S. patients on peritoneal dialysis: a 15-year national cohort study” (Accepted: 9 December 2025)
