Factors associated with waiting time and access to kidney transplants in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil'

The objective of this study was to analyze factors associated with access to kidney transplants from living and cadaver donors in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The authors conducted a non-concurrent cohort study of patients on the waiting list for kidney transplants from 2000 to 2004 and followed until transplantation, death, exclusion, or continued presence on the line at the end of the study on December 31, 2005. The Cox model was used for competing risks. Of the 835 patients, 22.7% were transplanted. Lower risk of transplantation from living donors and cadavers was observed in patients with more time on dialysis and blood type O. Lower risk of transplantation from living donors was observed in residents in a high health risk area and in recipients with diabetes. The greatest disparity in access was observed in transplants from living donors, since there were no significant socio-demographic differences in transplants from cadaver donors. One can infer that the organ allocation system contributed to mitigating socio-demographic inequalities, and that clinical issues were more relevant in access to transplants from cadaver donors.