Ricardo Cintra Sesso, Antonio Alberto Lopes, Fernando Saldanha Thomé, Jocemir Ronaldo Lugon, Carmen Tzanno Martins

National chronic dialysis data have had impact in the treatment planning. To report data of the annual survey of the Brazilian Society of Nephrology about chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis in July 2014. A survey based on data of dialysis units from the whole country. The data collection was performed by using a questionnaire filled out on-line by the dialysis units. Three hundred twelve (44%) of the dialysis units in the country answered the questionnaire. In July 2014, the total estimated number of patients on dialysis was 112,004. The estimated prevalence and incidence rates of chronic maintenance dialysis were 552 (range: 364 in the North region and 672 in the Southeast) and 180 patients per million population (pmp), respectively. The annual incidence rate of patients with diabetic nephropathy was 77 pmp. The annual gross mortality rate was 19%. For prevalent patients, 91% were on hemodialysis and 9% on peritoneal dialysis, 32,499 (29%) were on a waiting list of renal transplant, 37% were overweight/obese, 29% were diabetics, 16% had PTH levels > 600 pg/ml and 26% hemoglobin < 10 g/dl. A venous catheter was the vascular access for 17% of the hemodialysis patients. During 2011-2014 the prevalence and incidence rates of patients on dialysis tended to increase, while the gross mortality rate remained stable. In 2014, diabetes was the primary renal disease in 42% of the new dialysis patients.