SURVEY OF PATIENT SELECTION FOR CADAVERIC RENAL-TRANSPLANTATION IN THE UNITED-KINGDOM

The limited supply of cadaveric kidneys results in failure to offer tr ansplantation to all dialysis patients who might benefit. To survey cu rrent UK attitudes to selection for renal transplantation and to asses s the influence on these attitudes of the shortage of cadaveric donor kidneys, a questionnaire including 20 case histories was circulated to 190 nephrologists and transplant surgeons involved in renal transplan tation in the UK. The response rate was 79%. The acceptance rate of in dividual patients for renal transplantation varied from 19 to 100% of respondents. Almost all patients were significantly (P<0.05) more like ly to be selected for transplantation if an adequate supply of kidneys were available. A correlation was noted between the responses from ne phrologists working in Transplant Units and the percentages of their d ialysis patients on transplant waiting lists (P<0.01). This survey str ongly suggests that more UK dialysis patients would be offered renal t ransplantation if the supply of cadaveric kidneys were adequate, and s o the current national waiting list, although lengthy, understates the potential demand. Finally, this survey shows the wide variation that exists among both nephrologists and transplant surgeons in their attit ude to patient selection for transplantation.