Prescription patterns of dialysate potassium and potassium binders and survival on haemodialysis—the French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network registry

Abstract Background Management of potassium disorders in patients on haemodialysis (HD) is complex. We studied prescription patterns of dialysate potassium and potassium binders, and their associations with patient survival. Methods This national registry-based study included 25 629 incident adult patients alive after 3 months of HD from 2010 through 2013 and followed-up through 31 December 2014. We used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate multiadjusted mortality hazard ratios (HRs) associated with time-dependent exposure to facility-level dialysate potassium concentrations and patient-level potassium binder exposure. Results Almost all dialysis units used, and generally most often, dialysate potassium concentrations of 2 mmol/L. During this period, use of concentrations