| [ Summary ] |
Many more patients with diverse backgrounds come to the hospital in Germany than in Japan, because Germany has a leadership role in economics and industry in Europe and there is a massive influx into Germany from all over the world. The medical systems of Germany and Japan are similar. However, the dialysis and transplantation systems constitute a unique network, connecting the university hospital and dialysis center, which is called "Kuratorium" and covers the entire country. As of the end of 1995, there were 44,568 patients undergoing hemodialysis, 3,082 receiving CAPD and 13,306 for transplant recipients. The most common cause of death in dialysis patients is cardiocerebral disease, followed by infection. The techniques and drugs used in hemodialysis are similar to ours, although dialyzers are reused in a few centers. When we discuss the recent German data, it becomes apparent that a few more years are needed for stabilization, because the medical situation of the former East Germany has been changing rapidly since the German reunification in 1990. |