Epidemiological profile of patients on a single waiting list and donors for a kidney transplant in a hospital in Quito, Ecuador

Abstract

Background. In Ecuador, it is estimated that more than eight hundred people are on the waiting list for organ transplants. For this reason, the aim of this study is to describe the epidemiological profile of patients on the waiting list and donor for a kidney transplant. Methods. A cross-sectional retrospective study was performed on 67 patients who underwent transplants between 2012 and 2019. We included recipients of organs from both deceased and living donors. Age of patients and donors, period in which they underwent dialysis until the transplant, type of donor, cause of chronic kidney failure, comorbidities, type of dialysis, cold ischemia time, blood-type of donors and patients, compatibility, complications after transplant, delayed graft function, and immunosuppression, were studied. Results. A total of 45 patients were male, with age 46.80 ± 11.48 years old. Twenty-two were females, with age of 40.45 ± 12.9 years old. The mean age of the donor was 40.71 ± 13.28 years old. 55.2% of the etiology to develop CKD in patients was unknown. The second most prevalent were diabetic nephropathy and lupus nephritis, both of which registered 7.5%. Furthermore, 92.4% received kidneys from deceased donors, and the mean age of those recipients was 45.2 ± 13.9 years old. Conversely, only 7.6% had kidneys from living donors. Conclusions. The importance of knowing the epidemiological profile is for health strategies. It can be developed for the medical care of the most vulnerable population within this list, and try to reduce morbidity and mortality.