Kidney disease in the elderly: a Sri Lankan perspective

Abstract

Renal disease in the elderly in Sri Lanka is a largely neglected area in the literature with hardly any publications. We carried out a hospital-based survey of elderly patients (elderly is defined in this article as patients aged 65 years or above) with renal disease. This prospective study included all patients aged 65 years or above admitted to the University Medical Unit, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, over a period of 1 year with a primary renal-related illness as the reason for hospitalization. This hospital-based survey is the first of its kind to look into the nephrological disease profile of elderly patients in Sri Lanka. Based on our findings, we have made several pertinent recommendations regarding the care of the elderly with renal disease in Sri Lanka that may be relevant to other developing nations as well.