Table 1b.
Patient characteristics by dialysate K
| All | Dialysate K (mEq/L) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 – 1.5 | 2.0 – 2.5 | 3.0 – 4.0 | ||
| N patients (%) | 55183 | 8109 (15%) | 33497 (61%) | 13577 (25%) |
| Demographics | ||||
| Age (years) | 62.5 ± 15.3 | 61.4 ± 15.4 | 61.6 ± 15.4 | 65.5 ± 14.5 |
| Sex (% men) | 58% | 60% | 58% | 56% |
| Black race (%) | 15% | 6% | 18% | 11% |
| Vintage (years) | 3.3 ± 4.7 | 4.3 ± 5.5 | 3.5 ± 4.8 | 2.1 ± 3.7 |
| Hemodialysis-related characteristics | ||||
| Central venous catheter use (%) | 32% | 26% | 30% | 41% |
| Single Pool Kt/V | 1.45 ± 0.34 | 1.46 ± 0.33 | 1.46 ± 0.33 | 1.42 ± 0.35 |
| Treatment time (min) | 226 ± 39 | 227 ± 39 | 227 ± 37 | 225 ± 43 |
| Dialysate Potassium (mEq/L) | 2.2 ± 0.6 | 1.3 ± 0.3 | 2.0 ± 0.1 | 3.1 ± 0.3 |
| Laboratory and biometric measurements | ||||
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 26.3 ± 6.2 | 25.5 ± 5.5 | 26.4 ± 6.3 | 26.6 ± 6.1 |
| Pre-dialysis SBP (mm Hg) | 145 ± 23 | 144 ± 23 | 146 ± 23 | 142 ± 23 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 11.1 ± 1.6 | 11.3 ± 1.6 | 11.0 ± 1.6 | 10.9 ± 1.6 |
| Normalized PCR (g/kg/day) | 0.98 ± 0.26 | 1.07 ± 0.26 | 0.98 ± 0.26 | 0.91 ± 0.25 |
| Serum Creatinine (mg/dL) | 8.1 ± 3.1 | 8.7 ± 2.9 | 8.5 ± 3.1 | 6.9 ± 2.8 |
| Serum Albumin (g/dL) | 3.68 ± 0.54 | 3.74 ± 0.51 | 3.69 ± 0.53 | 3.59 ± 0.58 |
| WBC count (103 cells/mm3) | 7.3 ± 2.5 | 7.2 ± 2.4 | 7.3 ± 2.6 | 7.4 ± 2.6 |
| Serum Bicarbonate (mEq/L) | 22.7 ± 3.7 | 22.7 ± 3.5 | 22.7 ± 3.7 | 22.8 ± 3.8 |
| Serum Calcium (mg/dL) | 9.0 ± 0.9 | 9.2 ± 0.9 | 9.0 ± 0.9 | 8.9 ± 0.9 |
| Serum Phosphorus (mg/dL) | 5.3 ± 1.8 | 5.4 ± 1.8 | 5.4 ± 1.8 | 5.1 ± 1.7 |
| Serum Potassium (mEq/L) | 4.9 ± 0.8 | 5.1 ± 0.8 | 4.9 ± 0.8 | 4.7 ± 0.8 |
| Medications (%) | ||||
| ACEi | 23% | 21% | 23% | 24% |
| ARB | 14% | 14% | 13% | 14% |
| Diuretic | 28% | 16% | 24% | 43% |
| Potassium-binding resin | 8% | 11% | 9% | 6% |
| Comorbid conditions (%) | ||||
| Coronary artery disease | 42% | 39% | 41% | 46% |
| Cancer (non-skin) | 12% | 12% | 12% | 15% |
| Other cardiovascular disease | 31% | 33% | 28% | 35% |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 15% | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Heart failure | 33% | 31% | 33% | 33% |
| Diabetes | 43% | 35% | 44% | 47% |
| Gastrointestinal bleeding | 6% | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Hypertension | 84% | 83% | 83% | 85% |
| Lung disease | 13% | 14% | 12% | 15% |
| Neurologic disease | 10% | 10% | 10% | 11% |
| Psychiatric disorder | 18% | 19% | 18% | 19% |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 26% | 27% | 25% | 29% |
| Recurrent cellulitis, gangrene | 9% | 9% | 8% | 9% |
Mean ± SD or % shown; N=55,183 patients who were included in all-cause mortality analyses.
ACEi=angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor; ARB=Angiotensin II receptor antagonist; nPCR=normalized protein catabolic rate; SBP=systolic blood pressure; WBC=white blood cell.
In the DK 3.0–4.0 group, 89% of patients had DK=3.0 mEq/L; in the DK 2.0–2.5 group, 98% of patients had DK=2.0 mEq/L; the DK 1.0–1.5 group was primarily concentrated in Spain, where 98% of patients prescribed DK 1.0–1.5 had DK=1.5 mEq/L; elsewhere, 75% of patients in the 1.0–1.5 group had DK 1.0 mEq/L.