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In rural areas of the Loreto region within the Peruvian Amazon, maternal mortality rate is above the national average and the majority of women deliver at home without care from a trained health care provider.

Potassium is an essential cation for multiple physiological processes and potassium disorders, also known as dyskalemias, imply an increased risk of cardiovascular and neurological complications. The present review aims to outline the main strategies for the management of patients with potassium disorders in the hospital setting. For the management of hyperkalemia, we propose that the therapeutic approach should include etiologic evaluation, evidence-based pharmacologic management, monitoring of therapeutic response, and timely decision on initiation of dialysis. For hypokalemia, we suggest initial assessment of severity, pharmacologic management, and monitoring of response to therapy. Despite the limitations of the primary evidence for the management of potassium disorders, the present recommendations emphasize practices based on the best available evidence.

The generation of multiple personal and health data occurs within various processes related to health care services, health surveillance, scientific research, among others. These data can serve as sources of information for monitoring indicators related to individual and community health conditions, as well as for conducting research that can be used for health decision-making and the generation of public policies. However, it is necessary that the use of these health databases be under strict methodological and ethical parameters, so, in this article, we analyze general and methodological aspects of the use of health databases for research. We also identify the benefits, risks, ethical concerns, and recommendations for the appropriate use of health databases.