Initial hemodialysis with a temporary catheter is associated with complications of a later permanent vascular access.

The aim was to identify the risk factors of long-term vascular access complications. The study cohort consisted of 239 incident hemodialysis (HD) patients from 1998 to 2010 in a single center. Among these patients, 59.8% had initially been dialyzing with a temporary catheter. Within 3 months after starting dialysis, all catheters had been converted into permanent accesses. 45 patients incurred long-term access complications after the first 2 years of dialysis, and 34 (75.6%) had used a temporary catheter starting HD. Complication occurrence was associated with age, initiation dialysis with a catheter and heart failure by logistic regression (odds ratios were 1.04, 2.77 and 2.23, respectively; p