An overview of dialysis treatment in Japan (as of Dec. 31, 1996)

Abstract

In 1996, the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy conducted a statistical survey of 2, 968 facilities in Japan and received replies from 2, 961 facilities (99.76%). As of the end of 1996, there were 167, 192 dialysis patients in Japan, an increase of 12, 779 patients (8.3%) over a year from the end of 1995. The gross mortality rate was 9.4%, a slight improvement over the previous year.
The mean age of the patients who started their dialysis therapy in 1996 was 61.51 years old (±14.16 years old S. D.). This shows that the dialysis patients' aging had advanced more than last year. The patients who started dialysis due to chronic glomerulonephritis in 1996 decreased compared to last year. This is 38.9% out of all the patients who started dialysis in 1996. On the other hand, the patients who started dialysis due to diabetic nephropathy increased, and their percentage was 33.1%.
In 1996, the survey also covered the history of the surgical release of carpal tunnel, intact parathyroid hormone (intact PTH) level, pre-dialysis pH level, pre-dialysis HCO₃^- level and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level. Surgical release of carpal tunnel was experienced by 5.0% of hemodialysis patients, and their number increased as the years on hemodialysis became longer. The intact PTH level, pre-dialysis pH level, pre-dialysis HCO₃^- level means (±S. D.) were 296.5 (±796.5) pg/ml, 7.34 (±0.15), 20.09 (±3.43) mEq/l, among hemodialysis patients; and the mean HbA1c level was 6.80 (±1.64)% in hemodialysis patients with diabetes mellitus.
Analysis of the prognosis suggested a high death risk in groups with a pre-dialysis cardio-thoracic ratio of 50% or more, or a dialyzer membrane surface area of less than 2.0m².