title: [Current estimate of the number of patients for liver transplantation with Dutch mortality figures].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the number of liver transplantations needed in the Netherlands, using death rates of the two periods 1979-1981 and 1989-1991.
  
  
  METHODS
  Death rates of different liver diseases were divided into: generally accepted indications (transplantable liver diseases, TLD), alcoholic liver cirrhosis, ALC and primary liver cell carcinoma, PLC. The death rates in the two periods, 1979-1981 and 1989-1991, were compared, and the impact of liver transplantation was determined. Subsequently an estimate of the maximum number of patients for liver transplantation in the Netherlands was made, based on death rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mortality of TLD and PLC rose 14% and 7% respectively, while it dropped 13% for ALC. In the period 1989-1991 liver transplantation appeared to have had a quantitative effect on mortality, especially in the youngest age groups. In the age group 0-59 the maximum number of patients for liver transplantation per year was estimated to be 147, nearly 10 per million inhabitants, excluding ALC and PLC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the period 1989-1991 21% of deceased TLD patients up to age 60 received liver transplantation in the Netherlands.
authors.affiliation: Rijksuniversiteit, International School of Hepatology GISH, Groningen.
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Kloppenberg
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Gips
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000401:mortality; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000401:mortality; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011336:Probability
vernacular_title: Actuele raming van het aantal patiënten voor levertransplantatie, met Nederlandse sterftecijfers.