Author/Editor     Buturović-Ponikvar, Jadranka; Gubenšek, Jakob; Arnol, Miha; Bren, Andrej; Kandus, Aljoša; Ponikvar, Rafael
Title     Dialysis patients refusing kidney transplantation: data from the Slovenian renal replacement therapy registry
Type     članek
Source     Ther Apher Dial
Vol. and No.     Letnik 15, št. 3
Publication year     2011
Volume     str. 245-9
Language     eng
Abstract     Kidney transplantation is considered the best renal replacement therapy (RRT) for patients with end-stage renal disease; nevertheless, some dialysis patients refuse to be transplanted. The aim of our registry-based, cross-sectional study was to compare kidney transplant candidates to dialysis patients refusing transplantation. Data were collected from the Slovenian Renal Replacement Therapy Registry database, as of 31 December 2008. Demographic and some RRT data were compared between the groups. There were 1448 dialysis patients, of whom 1343 were treated by hemodialysis and 105 by peritoneal dialysis (PD); 132 (9%) were on the waiting list for transplantation, 208 (14%) were preparing for enrollment (altogether 340 [23%] dialysis patients were kidney transplant candidates); 200 (13.7%) patients were reported to refuse transplantation, all </= 65 years of age; 345 (24%) were not enrolled due to medical contraindications, 482 (33%) due to age, and 82 (6%) due to other or unknown reasons. No significant difference was found in age, gender, or presence of diabetes between kidney transplant candidates vs. patients refusing transplantation (mean age 50.5 +/- 13.9 vs. 51.3 +/- 9.6 years, males 61% vs. 63%, diabetics 18% vs. 17%). The proportion of patients </= 65 years old who were refusing transplantation was 28% (187/661) for hemodialysis and 17% (13/79) for PD patients (P = 0.03). There is a considerable group of dialysis patients in Slovenia refusing kidney transplantation. Compared to the kidney transplant candidates, they are similar in age, gender and prevalence of diabetes. Patients treated by peritoneal dialysis refuse kidney transplantation less often than hemodialysis patients.
Descriptors     KIDNEY FAILURE, CHRONIC
HEMODIALYSIS
KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION
TREATMENT REFUSAL
CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES