Abstract
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of infection, but whether the risks are attenuated in different patient groups remains unclear. This study enrolled participants with CKD stages 1–3 in the New Taipei City Health Screening Program between 2005 and 2008. A proportional hazard regression model was employed to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for infection-related hospitalization and mortality in younger (<50-year-old) and older (≥50-year-old) CKD patients. Of 119,871 adults, there were 14,207 cases of first hospitalization for infection during a median follow-up of 8.14 years; 45.5% of these cases were younger patients. Unlike CKD stage 1 and 2 patients, the risk of infection-related hospitalization in younger CKD stage 3 patients is as high as for older CKD stage 3 patients. Proteinuria increases the risk of infection-related hospitalization independent of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels in older CKD patients but this relationship is weak in their younger counterparts. In conclusion, the risk of infection-related hospitalization is high in subgroups of CKD patients. Prevention and treatment of infections in these patients merit more attention.
Highlights
The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing worldwide, with a mean prevalence of 11 to 13%1,2
Two studies demonstrated that proteinuria is a risk factor for infection in CKD patients, independent of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels, but one study was limited to diabetes patients[19] and the other focused on only four most common infections[17]
Current results indicated that participants aged
Summary
The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing worldwide, with a mean prevalence of 11 to 13%1,2. Previous studies demonstrated that advanced CKD or ESRD patients and those with moderately impaired renal function are threatened by a higher infection risk[15,16,17,18,19,20,21]. Studies enrolling patients older than 65 years concluded that the risks of infection were not modified by age[15,19], but James et al noted that in a population with broader age range, the risk of pneumonia was more prominent in younger CKD patients, 18 to 54 years of age[18]. This research is a large Asian community-based, www.nature.com/scientificreports prospective cohort study on the relationship between eGFR and the incidences of hospitalization for all infections, site-specific infections, and infection-related mortality across the whole spectrum of renal functions and age groups
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
