Heterogeneity in Acute Kidney Injury Management in Critically Ill Patients: National Survey

Abstract

We conducted a descriptive survey study with 365 multidisciplinary critical care providers to examine the heterogeneity in using tools for diagnosing acute kidney injury (AKI) in critical care settings. Results indicated that 52% of respondents used point-of-care ultrasound, followed by 15% using novel biomarkers and 8% using formal kidney ultrasound imaging for diagnostic testing. Cystatin C was the most commonly used novel biomarker (72% of respondents). Only 6% used prediction models and an integrated clinical decision support system to identify patients at high-risk for developing AKI. We confirmed that significant variation exists in the diagnosis of critically ill patients with AKI.