Has potassium been prematurely discarded as a contributing factor to the development of uraemic neuropathy?

Abstract

Renal failure results in neurological dysfunction due to uraemia, the accumulation of urea and other substances in the blood [1]. This dysfunction may be manifest in the central, autonomic or peripheral nervous systems, with the incidence of peripheral neuropathy estimated to be 60–65% in patients beginning dialysis [2]. Uraemic neuropathy is a distal, symmetric, mixed sensorimotor, predominantly axonal polyneuropathy, affecting legs more than arms [2,3]. The pathological findings are similar to those in other toxic neuropathies and the mechanism of nerve damage is unknown.