Study of living kidney donor-recipient relationships: variation with socioeconomic deprivation in the white population of England

Associations between Deprivation, Geographic Location, and Access to Pediatric Kidney Care in the United Kingdom

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Pre-emptive kidney transplantation is advocated as best practice for children with kidney failure who are transplant eligible; however, it is limited by late presentation. We aimed to determine whether socioeconomic deprivation and/or geographic location (distance to the center and rural/urban residence) are associated with late presentation, and to what degree these factors could explain differences in accessing pre-emptive transplantation.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

A cohort study using prospectively collected United Kingdom Renal Registry and National Health Service Blood and Transplant data from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2016 was performed. We included children aged >3 months to ≤16 years at the start of KRT. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine associations between the above exposures and our outcomes: late presentation (defined as starting KRT within 90 days of first nephrology review) and pre-emptive transplantation, with a priori specified covariates.

RESULTS

Analysis was performed on 2160 children (41% females), with a median age of 3.8 years (interquartile range, 0.2-9.9 years) at first nephrology review. Excluding missing data, 478 were late presenters (24%); 565 (26%) underwent pre-emptive transplantation, none of whom were late presenting. No association was seen between distance or socioeconomic deprivation with late presentation, in crude or adjusted analyses. Excluding late presenters, greater area affluence was associated with higher odds of pre-emptive transplantation, (odds ratio, 1.20 per quintile greater affluence; 95% confidence interval, 1.10 to 1.31), with children of South Asian (odds ratio, 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.36 to 0.76) or Black ethnicity (odds ratio, 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.12 to 0.80) less likely to receive one. A longer distance to the center was associated with pre-emptive transplantation on crude analyses; however, this relationship was attenuated (odds ratio, 1.02 per 10 km; 95% confidence interval, 0.99 to 1.05) in the multivariable model.

CONCLUSIONS

Socioeconomic deprivation or geographic location are not associated with late presentation in children in the United Kingdom. Geographic location was not independently associated with pre-emptive transplantation; however, children from more affluent areas were more likely to receive a pre-emptive transplant.

The influence of socioeconomic deprivation on outcomes in pancreas transplantation in England: Registry data analysis

Socioeconomic deprivation is associated with poorer outcomes in chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of socioeconomic deprivation on outcomes following pancreas transplantation among patients transplanted in England. We included all 1270 pancreas recipients transplanted between 2004 and 2012. We used the English Index of Multiple Deprivation (EIMD) score to assess the influence of socioeconomic deprivation on patient and pancreas graft survival. Higher scores mean higher deprivation status. Median EIMD score was 18.8, 17.7, and 18.1 in patients who received simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK), pancreas after kidney (PAK), and pancreas transplant alone (PTA), respectively (P = .56). Pancreas graft (censored for death) survival was dependent on the donor age (P = .08), cold ischemic time (CIT; P = .0001), the type of pancreas graft (SPK vs. PAK or PTA, P = .0001), and EIMD score (P = .02). The 5-year pancreas graft survival of the most deprived patient quartile was 62% compared to 75% among the least deprived (P = .013), and it was especially evident in the SPK group. EIMD score also correlated with patient survival (P = .05). When looking at the impact of individual domains of deprivation, we determined that "Environment" (P = .037) and "Health and Disability" (P = .035) domains had significant impact on pancreas graft survival. Socioeconomic deprivation, as expressed by the EIMD is an independent factor for pancreas graft and patient survival.

'Educational' Deprivation is Associated with PD Peritonitis

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomic deprivation is an important factor in determining poor health and is associated with a higher prevalence of many chronic diseases, including renal failure, and often poorer outcomes for patients with such conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of deprivation on peritonitis episodes following peritoneal dialysis (PD)-catheter insertion.

METHODS

The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) was used to assess the influence of socioeconomic deprivation on outcomes following 233 consecutive first PD-catheter insertions from a single institution in the United Kingdom, performed between 2010 and 2015. The primary outcome measure was the presence of peritonitis episodes.

RESULTS

Peritoneal dialysis catheters were inserted in 243 patients, of which data were available for 233. Fifty-four patients experienced at least 1 episode of peritonitis. Overall, more patients in the most deprived group (vs least deprived) experienced peritonitis, although this was not statistically significant. When analyzing the severity of the peritonitis, within the 'Education' domain of the WIMD, significantly more patients from the most deprived group (compared with the least deprived group) experienced '2 or more peritonitis' episodes (p = 0.04) and were hospitalized for antibiotics (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

This study has shown that patients who live in more 'educationally' deprived areas are more likely to have multiple episodes of peritonitis requiring hospital admission following PD-catheter insertions.

The impact of distance from transplant unit on outcomes following kidney transplantation

BACKGROUND

Following transplantation, many patients travel long distances for follow-up care. Many studies have examined the influence of distance from transplant centre on access to transplantation, but few have examined post-transplant outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Distance from transplant centre was calculated for all kidney transplant recipients transplanted over a 5-year period. Outcomes measured were rates of acute rejection, graft and patient survival.

RESULTS

Complete follow up data was available for 571 of the 585 kidney transplants performed over the study period. Distance from home to transplant centre ranged from 1.3 to 257.4 km (median 33.7 km). Patients were divided into quartiles according to their distance from the transplant centre. Distance from the transplant centre did not influence rates of acute rejection (p = 0.102). One-year graft survival for 'nearest' and 'farthest' quartiles was 99% and 97% respectively and five-year graft survival was 78% and 89% respectively (log rank p-value of 0.212). There were no differences in patient survival at 1 and 5 years between the 'nearest' and 'farthest' groups.

CONCLUSION

Distance from transplant centre does not affect early outcomes following kidney transplantation. The centralized practice which involves a low threshold for rapid assessment and readmission of patients post-transplantation appears to provide good outcomes for kidney transplant recipients.

The impact of socioeconomic status and geographic remoteness on access to pre-emptive kidney transplantation and transplant outcomes among children

BACKGROUND

Low socioeconomic status (SES) and geographic disparity have been associated with worse outcomes and poorer access to pre-emptive transplantation in the adult end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) population, but little is known about their impact in children with ESKD. The aim of our study was to determine whether access to pre-emptive transplantation and transplant outcomes differ according to SES and geographic remoteness in Australia.

METHODS

Using data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (1993-2012), we compared access to pre-emptive transplantation, the risk of acute rejection and graft failure, based on SES and geographic remoteness among Australian children with ESKD (≤ 18 years), using adjusted logistic and Cox proportional hazard modelling.

RESULTS

Of the 768 children who commenced renal replacement therapy, 389 (50.5%) received living donor kidney transplants and 28.5% of these (111/389) were pre-emptive. There was no significant association between SES quintiles and access to pre-emptive transplantation, acute rejection or allograft failure. Children residing in regional or remote areas were 35% less likely to receive a pre-emptive transplant compared to those living in major cities [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45-1.0]. There was no significant association between geographic disparity and acute rejection (adjusted OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.68-1.57) or graft loss (adjusted hazard ratio 1.05, 95% CI 0.74-1.41).

CONCLUSIONS

In Australia, children from regional or remote regions are much less likely to receive pre-emptive kidney transplantation. Strategies such as improved access to nephrology services through expanding the scope of outreach clinics, and support for regional paediatricians to promote early referral may ameliorate this inequity.

Alternative Living Kidney Donation Programs Boost Genetically Unrelated Donation

Donor-recipient ABO and/or HLA incompatibility used to lead to donor decline. Development of alternative transplantation programs enabled transplantation of incompatible couples. How did that influence couple characteristics? Between 2000 and 2014, 1232 living donor transplantations have been performed. In conventional and ABO-incompatible transplantation the willing donor becomes an actual donor for the intended recipient. In kidney-exchange and domino-donation the donor donates indirectly to the intended recipient. The relationship between the donor and intended recipient was studied. There were 935 conventional and 297 alternative program transplantations. There were 66 ABO-incompatible, 68 domino-paired, 62 kidney-exchange, and 104 altruistic donor transplantations. Waiting list recipients (n = 101) were excluded as they did not bring a living donor. 1131 couples remained of whom 196 participated in alternative programs. Genetically unrelated donors (486) were primarily partners. Genetically related donors (645) were siblings, parents, children, and others. Compared to genetically related couples, almost three times as many genetically unrelated couples were incompatible and participated in alternative programs (P < 0.001). 62% of couples were genetically related in the conventional donation program versus 32% in alternative programs (P < 0.001). Patient and graft survival were not significantly different between recipient programs. Alternative donation programs increase the number of transplantations by enabling genetically unrelated donors to donate.

The influence of socioeconomic deprivation on early outcomes in vascular access surgery

INTRODUCTION

Socioeconomic deprivation is an important factor in determining poor health and is associated with a higher prevalence of many chronic diseases including diabetes and renal failure, and often poorer outcomes for patients with such conditions. The influence of deprivation on outcomes following vascular access surgery has not previously been reported.

METHODS

The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation was used to assess the influence of socioeconomic deprivation on outcomes following 507 consecutive first upper limb arteriovenous (AV) fistulas from a single institution in the United Kingdom, performed between 2011 and 2014. The primary outcome measures were early failure and maturation into a working fistula.

RESULTS

Four hundred and five (80%) patients had a patent AV fistula at the 2-week follow-up clinic. Three hundred and fifty-nine (71%) patients developed a functionally mature AV fistula as determined by clinical assessment and a Doppler scan. There were no differences in either early failure rates (p = 0.95) or maturation rates (p = 0.77) between the least and most deprived groups of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, this study has shown that socioeconomic deprivation does not influence outcomes following vascular access surgery.

From potential donor to actual donation: does socioeconomic position affect living kidney donation? A systematic review of the evidence

Evidence from Europe, Australia and the United States demonstrates that socioeconomically deprived individuals with advanced chronic kidney disease are less likely to receive a living kidney transplant compared with less deprived individuals. This systematic review focuses on how socioeconomic position (SEP) may influence hypothetical and actual living kidney donors and where appropriate, summarizes the quantitative evidence.In the general population, a higher SEP appears to be associated with an increased 'hypothetical' willingness to be a living kidney donor but with marked heterogeneity in the absolute differences (I = 95.9%, P < 0.001). In a commercial setting, lower SEP motivates people to donate. Outside of this setting, there is no evidence of discordance in the SEP of donors and recipients that would suggest undisclosed financial exchange. There is evidence for a complex interaction between SEP and other variables, such as ethnicity, sex, and the national economic climate. Some evidence suggests that measures to remove financial disincentives to donation are associated with an increase in living donation rates. Future research needs to study how SEP impacts the potential donor population from willingness to donate, progression through donor assessment to actual donor nephrectomy.