Epidemiology and Outcomes of Children with Kidney Failure Receiving Kidney Replacement Therapy in Australia and New Zealand

INTRODUCTION: The incidence and outcomes of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) have been well-studied in adults, but much less so in children. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology and outcomes of KRT in children in Australia and New Zealand from 2000 to 2020. METHODS: Children aged <18 years initiating KRT in Australia and New Zealand between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2020 and reported to the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry were included. Patient survival, technique-survival, and graft survival were analyzed by Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: Overall, 1058 children (median [interquartile range (IQR)] age 11 [5–15] years, 41% female, 66% White) were followed-up with for a median period of 12.3 years. First KRT modalities were peritoneal dialysis (PD; 48%), hemodialysis (HD; 34%), and kidney transplantation (KT; 18%). Pre-emptive KT incidence was highest in Caucasian children (80.4%) and lowest in the Indigenous population (3.2%). There was no difference in 5-year patient survival rates between 2011 and 2020 (96.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 93.8–98.4) and the preceding decade, 2000–2010 (94.5%, 95% CI 90.4–96.8) (P = 0.79). There was no difference in 5-year death-censored technique survival between 2011 and 2020 (51.2%, 95% CI 39.1–62) and 2000–2010 (48.8%, 95% CI 40.5–56.6) (P = 0.27). However, 5-year derath-censored graft survival was significantly higher in 2011–2020 (88.4%, 95% CI 84.6–91.4) than in 2000–2010 (84.3%, 95% CI 80.4–87.5) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PD is the most commonly prescribed KRT modality for children in Australia and New Zealand. Patient-survival, technique-survival, and graft survival rates are excellent and graft survival has improved over the last 2 decades.