A simple tool to predict outcomes after kidney transplant.
BACKGROUND
Surprisingly few tools have been developed to predict outcomes after kidney transplant.


METHODS
Retrospective observational cohort study.


METHODS
Adult patients from US Renal Data System (USRDS) data who underwent deceased donor kidney transplant in 2000-2006.


METHODS
Full and abbreviated prediction tools for graft loss using candidate predictor variables available in the USRDS registry, including data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services End-Stage Renal Disease Program.


RESULTS
Graft loss within 5 years, defined as return to maintenance dialysis therapy, preemptive retransplant, or death with a functioning graft.


METHODS
We used Cox proportional hazards analyses to develop separate tools for assessment (1) pretransplant, (2) at 7 days posttransplant, and (3) at 1 year posttransplant to predict subsequent risk of graft loss within 5 years of transplant. We used measures of discrimination and explained variation to determine the number of variables needed to predict outcomes at each assessment time in the full and abbreviated equations, creating simple user-friendly prediction tools.


RESULTS
Although we could identify 32, 29, and 18 variables that predicted graft loss assessed pretransplant and at 7 days and 1 year posttransplant ("full" models), 98% of the discriminatory ability and >80% of the variability explained by the full models could be achieved using only 11, 8, and 6 variables, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Comorbidity data were from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Medical Evidence Report, which may significantly underreport comorbid conditions; C statistic values may indicate only modest ability to discriminate risk for an individual patient.


CONCLUSIONS
This method produced risk-prediction tools that can be used easily by patients and clinicians to aid in understanding the absolute and relative risk of graft loss within 5 years of transplant.
Kasiske
Bertram L
BL
Department of Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA. kasis001@umn.edu
Israni
Ajay K
AK
Snyder
Jon J
JJ
Skeans
Melissa A
MA
Peng
Yi
Y
Weinhandl
Eric D
ED
D000328:Adult; D051799:Delayed Graft Function / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology