title: Changes in causes of death after renal transplantation, 1966 to 1987.
abstract: This descriptive study was undertaken to examine survival and changes in cause of death after renal transplantation. One fourth (259) of the 1,022 patients who received a renal transplant between 1966 and 1987 at the University of Pennsylvania had died by January 1, 1988. Causes of death for 246 (96%) of the deceased patients were analyzed. Despite an increase in age and number of comorbid diseases before transplantation, posttransplant survival increased significantly over the study period. All-cause mortality rates at 1, 2, and 5 years decreased significantly. Infectious disease cumulative mortality rates at 1, 2, and 5 years also decreased between 1966 and 1985. No trend in the 1-, 2-, or 5-year cardiovascular disease cumulative mortality rates was detected. The decline in the rate of deaths due to infection led to a decrease in the proportion of infection-related deaths and an associated increase in the proportion of cardiovascular disease-related deaths. The reduction in mortality over the past 2 decades is associated with the simultaneous improvement in immunosuppression and treatment of infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hurwitz
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Dafoe
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*