Incidence, mortality, and prevalence of end-stage chronic renal disease in the Bajo Lempa region of El Salvador: A ten-year community registry.

Abstract

The Bajo Lempa is an impoverished rural coastal region of El Salvador affected by the chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemic known as Mesoamerican nephropathy. The local community organisation Fondo Social de Emergencia para la Salud (FSES) (Emergency social fund for health) is helping to fight the epidemic in 42 communities of the region (19,223 inhabitants; average age 26.7 years; 48.5% male; 40.2% To report annual rates of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) incidence and patient mortality in these communities during a 10-year period (2004-2013), and the prevalence of patients receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) as of 31 December 2013. The FSES recorded new ESRD cases, basic patient history, form of RRT if received and patient deaths. We registered 271 new ESRD cases (annual average 27.1; 89% male; average age 55.6 years, four This region has a high incidence of ESRD. Few receive RRT. Patient mortality is high even with RRT. Most patients are male (9:1). Social determinants influence the high mortality.