High prevalence of hyperkalemia in Brazilian chronic dialysis patients and differences across geographic regions

Abstract Introduction: Hyperkalemia is a common multifactorial condition of people on chronic dialysis and is associated with mortality. We aimed to inform and discuss the prevalence of hyperkalemia in a large population of chronic dialysis patients in Brazil and its geographic regions. Methods: Prevalence of hyperkalemia (serum potassium ≥6.0 mEq/L) was assessed in the Brazilian Dialysis Survey (BDS) in July 2019, an online survey of voluntary participation in which all dialysis centers registered at the Brazilian Society of Nephrology were invited. Results: Approximately one-third (n=263 of 805) of the Brazilian dialysis clinics participated. The prevalence of hyperkalemia in the whole population was 16.1% (n=7,457 of 46,193; 95%CI=15.8-16.5%,), and varied from 12.1% in the North to 18.7% in the Northeast. Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of hyperkalemia in a large Brazilian chronic dialysis population. A nationwide investigation of risk factors, treatment options, and whether this high prevalence contributes to dialysis mortality is warranted.

摘要与引言：高钾血症是慢性透析患者常见的多因素病症，与患者死亡率密切相关。本研究旨在探讨巴西慢性透析患者大群体及其各地理区域的高钾血症患病率。
方法：本研究依托2019年7月开展的巴西透析调查（Brazilian Dialysis Survey, BDS），评估高钾血症（血清钾≥6.0 mEq/L）的患病率。该调研为自愿参与的线上调查，邀请巴西肾脏病学会（Brazilian Society of Nephrology）注册的全部透析中心参与。
结果：共计805家巴西透析诊所参与本研究，参与率约为三分之一（n=263）。全体研究人群的高钾血症患病率为16.1%（46193名患者中7457名，95%置信区间（95% Confidence Interval，95%CI）为15.8%~16.5%），地域差异显著：北部地区患病率为12.1%，东北部地区最高达18.7%。
结论：本研究发现巴西大型慢性透析患者群体中高钾血症患病率较高。未来亟需开展全国性调查，明确相关危险因素与治疗方案，并探究该高患病率是否与透析患者死亡率相关。