Risk factors and prognosis of acute kidney injury in children with sepsis in pediatric intensive care unit

Abstract

To investigate the risk factors and prognosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children with sepsis in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). A retrospective analysis of clinical data of PICU sepsis children in Anhui Children's Hospital from May 2015 to May 2018 was performed. The children were divided into AKI group and non-AKI group according to whether AKI occurred within 48 hours of PICU [referring to the diagnostic criteria for Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO)]. The general data, physiological data and clinical outcomes of the two groups were compared; Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors of AKI in children with sepsis and the prognostic factors. AKI occurred in 55 of 127 children with sepsis, the incidence of AKI was 43.3%, and the overall mortality was 28.3% (36/127), with 41.8% (23/55) in AKI group and 18.1% (13/72) in non-AKI group. (1) Compared with non-AKI group, oxygenation index, albumin, the pediatric critical illness case score (PCIS) and urine volume in AKI group were significantly decreased, while cystatin C, procalcitonin (PCT), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), pediatric multiple organ dysfunction score (P-MODS), the proportions of mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drug use, shock, septic shock and mortality were significantly increased, while there was no difference in age, gender, mean arterial pressure (MAP), white blood cell count (WBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) between the two groups. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that low serum albumin [odds ratio (OR) = 0.627, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.495-0.794, P = 0.000] and homocystatin C (OR = 2.641, 95%CI = 1.157-6.032, P = 0.021) were risk factors for AKI in children with sepsis. (2) Compared with the survival group of children with sepsis AKI, the proportion of mechanical ventilation, septic shock, vasoactive drug use, positive balance ratio of liquid for 72 hours, 6-hour lactate clearance rate < 10%, and AKI 3-stage patients in the death group of children with sepsis AKI were significantly increased. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that 72-hour positive liquid balance (OR = 8.542, 95%CI = 1.956-37.307, P = 0.004) and 6-hour lactate clearance rate < 10% (OR = 5.980, 95%CI = 1.393-25.676, P = 0.016) were risk factors for the death of children with sepsis AKI. Serum albumin and cystatin C should be closely monitored in children with sepsis. Early detection and intervention of positive fluid balance and low lactate clearance rate can reduce the mortality of AKI in children with sepsis.