A microcomputer-based transplantation registry.

We describe a microcomputer-based program developed for the Brazilian Kidney Transplant Registry. The system can construct life tables and survival curves online, without the need to export the database. From 1987 through 1993, 6069 kidney transplants were reported; 3485 (57.4%) were from living donors and 2584 from cadavers. The proportion of cadaveric transplants increased from 28.5% in 1987 to 58.1% in 1993. Overall kidney transplantation activity was 8.1 patients per million population per year. Sixty-four percent of the patients were male, and 71% were white. The mean age was 33.4 years. The primary renal diseases most frequently reported were glomerulonephritis (43.6%) and hypertensive renal disease (13.6%). Only 3.6% of the recipients were diabetic. Patient and graft survival rates have improved in recent years. We expect that cadaveric organ procurement programs will continue to develop in our country, increasing the number of organ transplantations and creating a more equal distribution of cadaveric organs.