CURRENT STATUS OF RENAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN JAPAN - RESULTS OF THEANNUAL SURVEY OF THE JAPANESE-SOCIETY-FOR-DIALYSIS-THERAPY

Beginning in 1966, the Patient Registration Committee of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy has conducted a survey once a year on ren al replacement therapy in Japan. As of 1983, the survey covered the li fe/death of patients in the survey years, as well as the case mix of i ndividual patients. In 1990 several laboratory variables were added to the survey items,. The present report summarizes the data from the 19 93 and 1994 surveys. The Committee mailed out questionnaire forms at t he end of the survey year to the heads of all dialysis facilities. Sur vey forms were returned from 99.6% of the dialysis facilities in the 1 993 survey, and from 99.8% of the facilities in the 1994 survey. Some 143 709 patients were treated by renal replacement therapy in 1994 (75 09 were treated by CAPD, and 131 016 by extracorporeal haemopurificati on). The gross mortality rate was 9.5% in the same year. The mean valu es of the laboratory variables among 88 693 patients undergoing thrice weekly haemodialysis were as follows in 1993: Kt/V, 1.3+/-0.30; prote in catabolic rate, 1.04+/-0.30g/kg/day; haemodialysis time, 4.12+/-0.5 0 h. In 1994, the variables were: predialysis serum creatinine concent ration, 11.54+/-2.85 mg/dl; predialysis serum albumin concentration, 3 .91+/-0.55 g/dl; predialysis haematocrit, 28.69+/-4.36%.