Kaballo MA, et al. - This study was performed to compare survival of patients awaiting transplantation with survival of transplant recipients and non-listed dialysis patients in Ireland. Findings reported a higher mortality risk initially but a better long-term survival in transplant recipients. In comparison to other studies, the reported time to death risk equilibration was longer. This could be explained by better survival rates in the waiting-list cohort.

Methods

• This retrospective analysis was conducted to assess the relative-risk (RR) of death with time-dependent, non-proportional hazards analysis, with adjustment for age, cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), time from first treatment for ESKD to placement on the waiting list and year of initial placement on the list.

Results

• This study included a total of 3597 patients.
• Data showed that annual death rates per 100 patient-years at risk for all patients on dialysis, waiting-list patients and transplant recipients were 16.5, 2.4 and 1.2, respectively.
• Researchers observed the highest death rate among diabetics.
• They also noted that the relative risk of death for all patients on dialysis was five times higher than the waiting-list patients [RR, 4.90; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.70–6.52; P < 0.001].
• In addition, it was demonstrated that time to survival equilibration was 1 year.
• Thereafter, as per observations, the 5-year mortality risk was estimated to be 47% lower than that of the patients on the waiting list (RR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.37–0.77; P = 0.001).