The UNOS OPTN waiting list, 1988-1998

1. On October 31, 1999, there were 71,024 registrations on the combined UNOS waiting list. Of these, 64% were awaiting kidney transplantation and 20% were awaiting liver transplantation. 2. The majority of patients on the UNOS waiting list on October 31, 1999 were blood type O (52%), White (59%) and male (58%), and awaiting their first transplant (85.9%). 3. Median waiting times have increased steadily for nearly every organ since 1988, especially for liver, kidney, and lung registrants. 4. Median waiting times to transplant were longest for kidney registrants (938 days). The shortest waiting times for this cohort were experienced by intestine registrants (161 days). 5. Death rates per patients waiting at risk have been declining for most patients awaiting life-saving organs and have remained relatively stable for those awaiting for a kidney transplant. Deaths for intestinal patients have risen every year since the list was created (1993), but appears to be stabilizing.