Background Hyperkalemia is a potential threat to patient safety in chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study determined the incidence of hyperkalemia in CKD and whether it is associated with excess mortality. Methods This retrospective analysis of a national cohort comprised of 2,103,422 records from 245,808 veterans with at least one hospitalization and at least one inpatient or outpatient serum potassium record during fiscal year 2005. CKD and treatment with ACE-I and/or ARBs (RAAS blockers) were the key predictors of hyperkalemia. Death within one day of a hyperkalemic event was the principal outcome. Results Of the 66,529 hyperkalemic events (3.2% of records), more occurred inpatient (34937 (52.7%)) versus outpatient (31322 (47.3%)). The adjusted rate of hyperkalemia was higher in patients with CKD than without CKD among individuals treated with RAAS blockers (7.67 vs. 2.30 per 100 patient months, p<0.0001) and those without RAAS blocker treatment (8.22 vs. 1.77 per 100 patient months, p<0.0001). The adjusted odds (OR) of death with a moderate (K+≥ 5.5 and < 6.0mg/dl) and severe (K+≥ 6.0 mg/dl) hyperkalemic event was highest with no CKD (OR: 10.32, 31.64, respectively), versus Stage 3 (5.35, 19.52), Stage 4 (OR: 5.73, 11.56), or Stage 5 CKD (OR: 2.31, 8.02) with all p<0.0001 versus normokalemia and no CKD. Conclusion The risk of hyperkalemia is increased with CKD, and its occurrence increases the odds of mortality within one day of the event. These findings underscore the importance of this metabolic disturbance as a threat to patient safety in CKD.

Background and objectives: This study set out to determine the incidence of hypoglycemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), with and without diabetes, and the association of hypoglycemia with mortality.Design, setting, participants, & measurements: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of 243,222 patients who had 2,040,206 glucose measurements and were cared for at the Veterans Health Administration. CKD was defined as an estimated GFR of <60 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 . Hypoglycemia was set at <70 mg/dl. Mortality was measured 1 day after glucose measurement. Results: The incidence of hypoglycemia was higher in patients with CKD versus without CKD. Among patients with diabetes, the rate was 10.72 versus 5.33 per 100 patient-months and among patients without diabetes was 3.46 versus 2.23 per 100 patient-months, for CKD versus no CKD, respectively. The odds of 1-d mortality were increased at all levels of hypoglycemia but attenuated in CKD versus no CKD. Adjusted odds ratios for 1-d mortality that were associated with glucose values of <50, 50 to 59, and 60 to 69 mg/dl, respectively, versus glucose of >70 mg/dl were 6.09, 4.10, and 1.85 for inpatient records from patients with CKD; 9.95, 3.79, and 2.54 for inpatients records from patients without CKD; 6.84, 3.28, and 3.98 for outpatient records from patients with CKD; and 13.28, 7.36, and 4.34 for outpatient records from patients without CKD.Conclusions: CKD is a risk for hypoglycemia, with or without diabetes. The excessive mortality associated with hypoglycemia makes this complication a significant threat to patient safety in CKD.