Nephrology in Sweden

The first dialysis treatment in Sweden of a patient with acute kidney failure was performed already in 1946 by the pioneer Nils Alwall in Lund. Since then, there has been a tremendous development in the practice of nephrology in Sweden. The first kidney transplant was performed in 1964, and during the following decades, dialysis and nephrology departments emerged in all regions of the country. Today, Sweden has 10 million inhabitants and about 10,000 patients on renal replacement therapy, corresponding to a prevalence of 1000 pmp, out of which about 60% have a functioning transplant. A vast majority is treated in public hospitals. Sweden has about 300 nephrologists, making up less than 1% of the physicians in the country. About 1100 patients start renal replacement therapy yearly corresponding to an incidence rate of 120 pmp, diabetes being the most common primary cause of uremia, although end-stage renal disease caused by type 1 diabetes is decreasing. The yearly incident rate has levelled off and now seems to decrease which may be attributed to an improved care of patients with chronic kidney disease.