CURRENT STATUS OF RENAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN JAPAN - RESULTS OF THEANNUAL SURVEY OF THE JAPANESE-SOCIETY-FOR-DIALYSIS-THERAPY (VOL 11, PG 2143, 1996)

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 199 3 and 1994 surveys. The Committee mailed out questionnaire forms at th e end of the survey year to the heads of all dialysis facilities. Surv ey forms were returned from 99.6% of the dialysis facilities in the 19 93 survey, and from 99.8% of the facilities in the 1994 survey. Some 1 43 709 patients were treated by renal replacement therapy in 1994 (750 9 were treated by CAPD, and 131 016 by extracorporeal haemopurificatio n). The gross mortality rate was 9.5% in the same year. The mean value s of the laboratory variables among 88 693 patients undergoing thrice weekly haemodialysis were as follows in 1993: Kt/V, 1.31 +/- 0.30; pro tein catabolic rate, 1.04 +/- 0.30 g/kg/ day; haemodialysis time, 4.12 +/- 0.50 h. In 1994, the variables were: predialysis serum creatinine concentration, 11.54 +/- 2.85 mg/dl; predialysis serum albumin concen tration, 3.91 +/- 0.55 g/dl; predialysis haematocrit, 28.69 +/- 4.36%.