REPORT OF THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND COMBINED DIALYSIS AND TRANSPLANT REGISTRY

Abstract

In Australia, 463 patients (32/1,000,000 population) commenced commercial treatment by dialysis in 1979. In all, 1266 dialysis patients (88/1,000,000) were receiving treatment at October 31, 1979, 47% by home dialysis. In 1979, 316 transplants (22/1,000,000) were performed. Of 1237 functioning grafts (86/1,000,000) at October 31, 1979, 89% were primary grafts; 6.5 of all functioning grafts were from a living donor. During 1979, the number of dialysis patients exceeded that of patients with a functioning transplant for the first time since the Registry was started. Amongst new patients, in 1979, glomerulonephritis (35%), analgesic nephropathy (19%), polycystic renal disease (9%), and reflux nephropathy (7%) were the more common primary renal diseases. Four per cent of patients had diabetic renal failure. The proportion of new patients over 50 years of age increased from 31% in 1973 to 46% in 1979; 14% were 60 years old or older in 1979. In 1975-1978, the three-year patient survival for integrated treatment (dialysis and/or transplantation) was 65%; the age-related patient survival at three years was approximately 80% for those under 40 years of age, 60% for those from 40 to 59 years of age, and 40% for patients over 60 years of age. The three-year patient survival for dialysis was 66%, and that for primary cadaver transplantation was 69%. Cadaver-donor primary graft survival was 51% at one year, and 43% at three years after transplantation. In New Zealand, during 1979, 88 patients (28/1,000,000 of population) commenced treatment for the first time, 68 transplants (22/1,000,000) were performed, and the number of patients with a functioning graft was equalled for the first time by that of patients receiving dialysis treatment (64/1,000,000). Forty-eight per cent of dialysis patients were receiving treatment at home. Forty per cent of new patients in 1979 had glomerulonephritis, while only 3% had analgesic nephropathy.