Biomarkers of acute kidney injury after pediatric cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy.

Abstract

A variety of biomarkers have been proposed as predictors of cardiac surgery-associated AKI in children, of which uNGAL was the most prominent with excellent diagnostic qualities. However, more consolidatory evidence will be required before these novel biomarkers may eventually help realize precision medicine in AKI management. • Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs in about 30-60% of children undergoing cardiac surgery and is associated with increased in-hospital mortality and adverse short-term outcomes.However, in current clinical practice, AKI definitions and detection often rely on changes in serum creatinine and urine output, which are late and insensitive markers of kidney injury. • Although various novel biomarkers have been studied for the diagnosis of AKI in children after cardiac surgery, it remains unclear how these compare to one another in terms of diagnostic accuracy. • Pooled analyses suggest that for the diagnosis of AKI in children who underwent cardiac surgery, NGAL is the most accurate among the most frequently studied biomarkers. • A number of other promising biomarkers have been reported, although they will require further research into their diagnostic accuracy and clinical applicability.