Skip to main content

Table 3 Incidence and median time between hyperkalaemia episodes

From: Serum potassium as a predictor of adverse clinical outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease: new risk equations using the UK clinical practice research datalink

Statistic

Serum potassium interval to define hyperkalaemiaa

≥5.0 mmol/L to < 5.5 mmol/L

≥5.5 mmol/L to < 6.0 mmol/L

≥6.0 mmol/L

Incidence of hyperkalaemia

 Total hyperkalaemia episodes

234,339

59,688

14,291

 Mean number of hyperkalaemia episodes per patient (SD)

1.22 (2.29)

0.31 (1.05)

0.07 (0.44)

 Crude rate of hyperkalaemia per 1000 patient-years (95% CI)

246.02 (245.03, 247.02)

62.66 (62.16, 63.17)

15.00 (14.76, 15.25)

Number patients experiencing hyperkalaemia episodes (%)

 No hyperkalaemia episodes

105,273 (54.84%)

161,335 (84.04%)

182,524 (95.08%)

 Exactly one hyperkalaemia episode

38,323 (19.96%)

18,765 (9.78%)

6985 (3.64%)

 Exactly two hyperkalaemia episodes

18,253 (9.51%)

5683 (2.96%)

1449 (0.75%)

 Exactly three hyperkalaemia episodes

10,352 (5.39%)

2606 (1.36%)

490 (0.26%)

 Four or more hyperkalaemia episodes

19,763 (10.30%)

3575 (1.86%)

516 (0.27%)

 To first episode (among patients experiencing 1+ episodes)

1.80 (0.72, 3.61)

2.58 (1.13, 4.62)

3.09 (1.41, 5.17)

 First to second episode (among patients experiencing 2+ episodes)

0.99 (0.40, 1.99)

0.84 (0.24, 1.87)

0.65 (0.12, 1.66)

 Second to third episode (among patients experiencing 3+ episodes)

0.76 (0.31, 1.48)

0.59 (0.19, 1.31)

0.41 (0.10, 1.13)

 Third to fourth episode (among patients experiencing 4+ episodes)

0.61 (0.26, 1.18)

0.48 (0.15, 1.06)

0.30 (0.08, 0.84)

  1. CI confidence interval, IQR inter-quartile range, SD standard deviation aHyperkalaemia episodes of increasing severity were quantified as serum potassium ≥5.0 mmol/L to < 5.5 mmol/L, ≥5.5 mmol/L to < 6.0 mmol/L, and ≥ 6.0 mmol/L, without a measurement of at least this severity (≥5.0 mmol/L, ≥5.5 mmol/L, and ≥ 6.0 mmol/L, respectively) in the preceding seven days