Brussels, Belgium – – – Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) announces the publication of its Clinical Practice Guideline on the Evaluation and Management of Candidates for Kidney Transplantation. The full guideline is published in the April issue of Transplantation Supplements, the official journal of The Transplantation Society.

The guideline was developed using KDIGO’s traditional and rigorous process. A sixteen-member Work Group wrote the guideline and is solely responsible for its content. The Work Group was led by Steven J. Chadban of the Royal Prince Albert Hospital, University of Sydney, Australia and Gregory A. Knoll, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada. The work was assisted by an independent Evidence Review Team from Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

The guideline “recommends that all patients with chronic kidney disease who are expected to reach kidney failure be informed of, educated about, and considered for kidney transplantation regardless of socioeconomic status, sex, gender identity or race/ethnicity.”

The guideline also systematically examines current evidence concerning the risks of transplantation associated with specific conditions and provides recommendations as to how clinicians may wish to deal with specific risk factors. It covers both pediatric and adult transplantation as well as transplants from both living and deceased donors.

“We thank the Work Group Co-Chairs and all members who volunteered countless hours of their time to develop this guideline. We also thank The Transplantation Society for their support in making this project possible.”
Michel Jadoul & Wolfgang Winkelmayer, KDIGO Co-Chairs

The recommendations for evaluation of individual aspects of a candidate’s profile enable clinicians to evaluate each risk factor and comorbidity separately. Estimation of risk is a key part of a transplant candidate’s evaluation. This guideline helps in the consideration of how to minimize risks and maximize the chances of a successful outcome.

In a preface to the guideline, KDIGO Co-Chairs Wolfgang Winkelmayer and Michel Jadoul remarked, “KDIGO seeks and considers all available evidence in producing guidelines which are of global relevance. However, the fact that the practice and outcomes of transplantation vary enormously across the globe requires the reader to consider their local practices and outcomes in interpreting and implementing the guideline.”

They added, “We thank the Work Group Co-Chairs and all members who volunteered countless hours of their time to develop this guideline. We also thank The Transplantation Society for their support in making this project possible.”

KDIGO is a Belgian foundation committed to developing and implementing nephrology guidelines that improve patient outcomes on a global basis.

For further information please contact KDIGO at [email protected].

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