Demography of Dialysis and Transplantation in Europe, 1984: Report from the European Dialysis and Transplant Association Registry

The demography of renal replacement therapy up until the closeof 1984 in Europe is presented, based on return of individualpatient questionnaires to the EDTA Registry. These were completedby 84.7% of known centres in 33 countries. Of 187 267 individuallyregistered patients, 102 276 were known to be alive on definedforms of renal replacement therapy on 31 December 1984. Thestock of patients alive on treatment by dialysis and transplantationin Europe continued to grow and exceeded 200 per million populationin 14 European countries at the end of 1984. During the sameyear, 21 198 new patients were accepted for treatment in Europe,and crude acceptance rates for new patients exceeded 60 permillion population in four countries. Acceptance rates for elderlypatients continued to increase and age specific acceptance ratesfor males aged 65 and over exceeded 100 per million populationin 12 countries. A total of 6802 renal transplants were reportedduring 1984. Regrafting accounted for a higher proportion oftransplants in Nordic countries and in the United Kingdom, comparedwith other nations. During 1984 the total number of transplantsreported to the Registry passed 50 000. The distribution ofprimary renal disease amongst adult patients commencing treatmentin 1984 is presented. Amongst elderly patients commencing treatment,a strikingly high proportion have chronic renal failure of uncertainaetiology. Finally, causes of death have been analysed amongstadult patients dying during 1984, showing myocardial ischaemiaand infarction to be the leading cause of mortality.