RESUMO
BACKGROUND: A high incidence of delayed graft function (DGF) after deceased donor kidney transplantation occurs in Brazil. The reasons for such have not been adequately studied. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 346 kidney transplant recipients from deceased donors. DGF risk factors related to the recipient, donor, and transplantation surgery were analyzed and correlated with graft outcomes. A logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors and patient and graft survival were assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: The incidence of DGF was 70.8% (245 cases). Our final model of multivariate analysis showed that DGF is associated (P < .05) with donor final serum creatinine (relative risk [RR], 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-2.70), donor age (RR, 1.02 [1.0-1.033]), receiving a kidney from national offer (RR, 2.44 [1.06-5.59]), and need for antibody induction (RR, 2.87 [1.33-6.18]). Outcomes that were associated with DGF were longer length of hospital stay (32.5 ± 20.5 vs 18.8 ± 16.3 days; P = .01), higher incidence of acute rejection (37.8 vs 12.9%; P < .01), worse graft survival at 1 year (83.5% vs 93.9%; P < .01), and higher levels of serum creatinine at 3, 6, and 12 months (P < .05). There was no difference in patient survival and the occurrence of acute rejection did not influence the survival of patients or grafts. CONCLUSION: DGF was associated with higher donor final serum creatinine, donor age, receiving a kidney from the national supply, and need for antibody induction. Most importantly, DGF was associated with worse outcomes.
