Hospitalization for renal diseases in Finland 1969-1982

The number of hospitalized renal patients and the number of days they stayed in hospitals were studied in Finland 1969-1982. In 1969 3.3% and in 1982 1.7% of all bed-days available were occupied by renal patients. The number of hospitalized renal patients first decreased and after 1976 no notable changes were observed. A rising trend in the number of patients as well as in the corresponding bed-days was seen in diabetic nephropathy, lupus nephropathy, renal amyloidosis and polycystic kidney disease. A declining trend, in contrast, was observed in renal infections and nephritis. The proportion of patients over 70 years increased during the study period. An approximation of the outcome of renal diseases was made using the ratio of the number of deaths against the number of hospitalized renal patients. The outcome of patients under 50 years has improved. A slight improvement was observed in most renal diseases, partially due to the increased capacity of dialysis treatment and renal transplantations.