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 ...Continue Reading