Epidemiological characteristics of chronic renal failure patients in Southern Provinces of Iraq 2012

Abstract EN

Objective: This study aimed to assess the burden and develop a baseline data on ESRD in the southern province through estimation the prevalence, incidence, case fatality rate and cause specific mortality rate of end stage renal disease ESRD, assess the human resources and logistics infrastructure, and assess some services quality indicators.

Methods: A cross sectional study was done on 243 hemodialysis patients at hemodialysis units of southern provinces of Iraq (Basra, Missan and Thiqar) during the period from 1 January to 30 July 2012 were included.

Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire filled through direct interview with the patients and treating physicians and reviewing their case records.

Morbidity and mortality indicators were estimated through reviewing the hemodialysis unit’s registries on the end of 2012.

Results: The total number of cases was 243.

Around 45% of them were from Basra, 22% were from Missan and the remaining was from Thiqar.

Males are 56.8% slightly more than females 43.2%.

Around two thirds of the cases were below 60 years, and 64% of the cases were of urban residence.

The prevalence and incidence of ESRD in Southern provinces were 98.5 pmp, and 78.8 pmp, respectively.

The cause specific mortality rate was 61.3 pmp, and the case fatality ratio was 62.2%.

Only 4.1% of HD patients had transplantation during 2012.

Death due to ESRD was significantly increased with increasing age (p=0.000), marital status, employment status and with the province (p=0.01), while no significant association was found with gender, education, and residence (p>0.05).

The HD unit to population ratio was 0.6 pmp, HD machine to population ratio was 8.6 pmp, patients to machine ratio was 11.4 and medical staff to patient ratio was 10.2.

Only 13.6% had three HD session per week, the majority of the cases (62.1%) had two HD sessions per week, and 24.3% one HD session per week and the average duration of HD session was 5.1 hours (±1.3).

Conculusions : We concluded that while the incidence and prevalence of ESRD were almost comparable to neighboring countries, but the extremely high case fatality rate and poor infrastructure indicators are reflecting the poor delivered services.