RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: to determine the risk factors that lead to delayed graft function (DGF) on long-term renal transplant survival (LTRTS). METHODS: we studied 58 patients who received cadaver transplant. DGF was defined as failure to decrease creatinine plasmatic levels spontaneously during the first postoperative week, requiring at least one dialysis treatment during the first postoperative week or urinary volume < 1 L/24 hr by 2 consecutive days in the first postoperative week. RESULTS: by the Kaplan-Meier and Log rank test, we observed that the DGF > 15 days is associated with a reduction in the LTRTS (Log rank = 4.15, p = 0.042). The logistic regression analysis suggested that cold ischemia time > 12 hr (adjusted OR = 7.99, 95 % CI = 2.36-27.04, p = 0.001) and dialysis of the recipients > 3 years (adjusted OR = 1.67, 95 CI = 1.14-3.47, p = 0.032), were associated with DGF of the renal graft. CONCLUSIONS: this results suggest that DGF > 15 days is associated with a reduction in a LTRTS graft and it supports the presence of risk factors that reduce the graft survival: cold ischemia time > 12 hr and a dialysis time > 3 years for the recipients.