The Italian Registry of Dialysis and Transplantation (RIDT) was born in 1996 on the initiative of the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) and its Gruppo di Informatica. It brings together the experiences and data derived from the various Regional Registries with the aim of providing a comprehensive overview of the treatment of uremia throughout the country.

The aims of this first survey were to identify the number of patients receiving Regular Replacement Treatment (RRT) as of 31/12/1995 (the point prevalence of End-Stage Renal Failure [ESRF] patients), those who began RRT during 1995 (the incidence of ESRF patients)  and those who died. Data regarding renal transplantation need further evaluation and are not shown in detail.

The present report of the Italian Registry of Dialysis and Transplant covers data from 597 Italian Dialysis Centers (out of 620) with a distribution rate of 10.4 pmp. At 31/12/1995 the total number of patients receiving RRT for ESRF was 40125 with a global prevalence of about 690 patients pmp; 33698 patients (84%) were on dialysis and 6427 (16%) were transplanted.

During 1995 6748 ESRF patients started RRT (118 pmp), and 885 new transplantation were performed (23.4 pmp). Seventy-six percent of the dialysis patients were receiving hospital treatment, 11.4% were on home treatment (10.4% on CAPD and 1% on home HD), 12.6% were treated in limited-care Units. The gross mortality rate recorded in 1995 was about 11%, the main causes of death being cardiovascular (55%). Within the limits of any initial data collection, the present survey offers a reasonably complete picture of RRT in Italy.