Sex Distribution of Dialysis Patients
Live query onptdatacomplete.
Generated: 2026-09-21 23:13
Total patients
612
Male
364
59.5%
Female
248
40.5%
M : F ratio
1.47 : 1
Overall split
New starters per year by sex
% male among new starters, per year
If this line drifts away from ~55–60%, referral or acceptance patterns are changing and worth investigating.
Automatic analysis
Total patients: 612. Male: 364 (59.5%). Female: 248 (40.5%). M:F ratio = 1.47:1.
Suggested action: Sex distribution is a baseline descriptor — useful for staff planning and for interpreting every other parameter page on the unit.
Sex distribution is balanced (59.5% M / 40.5% F).
Suggested action: This is consistent with typical adult dialysis populations; no action needed from this signal alone.
All patient records have a valid M/F value in the sex column.
Suggested action: No action needed.
The proportion of male patients starting dialysis has risen by 18.6 percentage points when comparing recent years to earlier years.
Suggested action: Investigate whether this reflects referral patterns, or whether female patients are being referred later or declining dialysis. Cross-check with the age-at-initiation page for female patients.
Sex matters clinically across several parameters on this dashboard.
Suggested action: Women: lower baseline Hb targets, more ESA sensitivity, often smaller veins (access planning), higher osteoporosis risk. Men: higher cardiovascular risk profile, larger target weight, higher absolute dialysis dose requirement. Use sex-stratified views on the anaemia and access pages.
What this parameter means
The male-to-female ratio of your dialysis population. It is a structural, one-time measure per patient that describes the case-mix of the unit and reflects the epidemiology of end-stage kidney disease in your catchment area — plus, importantly, referral and acceptance patterns.
Why it matters
- Typical adult pattern: 55–60% male in most registries.
- Strong male dominance (>65%) may indicate under-referral of women or a coding problem.
- Female patients often need lower ESA doses, different iron targets, and smaller access vessels — planning implications for access surgery.
- Male patients generally have higher cardiovascular risk, higher target weight, and higher absolute dialysis dose requirement.
- Sex ratio shifts over time signal changes in referral patterns — a public-health signal, not just a dialysis signal.
Action plan
- Fix invalid sex records. Every patient must have a valid M/F value before analysis is trustworthy — and before dose, target weight and anaemia thresholds can be calculated correctly.
- Compare to your national registry. If your unit runs 70:30 M:F while the country runs 55:45, investigate referral patterns from primary care and nephrology clinics.
- Plan access surgery capacity by sex. Smaller vessels in women require more experienced surgeons, more mapping studies, and often a different first-choice access site.
- Stratify the anaemia page by sex. Target Hb, ferritin and ESA doses differ; a single unit-wide target can hide under-treatment in women.
- Stratify the age-at-initiation page by sex. If women in your unit start dialysis later (higher age at start) than men, that is a referral-timing signal worth investigating.
- Track the trend yearly. A stable ratio means stable case-mix; a drifting one tells a different story — good or bad.
- Consider adding sex to every other parameter page as a secondary dimension. Many "unit average" findings are actually male-dominated averages, hiding a different pattern in women.
Distribution table
| Sex | Patients | % | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 364 | 59.5% | |
| Female | 248 | 40.5% | |
| Total | 612 | 100% |