Acute Kidney Injury In Pediatric Patients Research Articles

Acute kidney injury: the experience of a tertiary center of Pediatric Nephrology.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an abrupt deterioration of kidney function. The incidence of pediatric AKI is increasing worldwide, both in critically and non-critically ill settings. We aimed to characterize the presentation, etiology, evolution, and outcome of AKI in pediatric patients admitted to a tertiary care center. We performed a retrospective observational single-center study of patients aged 29 days to 17 years and 365 days admitted to our Pediatric Nephrology Unit from January 2012 to December 2021, with the diagnosis of AKI. AKI severity was categorized according to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. The outcomes considered were death or sequelae (proteinuria, hypertension, or changes in renal function at 3 to 6 months follow-up assessments). Forty-six patients with a median age of 13.0 (3.5-15.5) years were included. About half of the patients (n = 24, 52.2%) had an identifiable risk factor for the development of AKI. Thirteen patients (28.3%) were anuric, and all of those were categorized as AKI KDIGO stage 3 (p < 0.001). Almost one quarter (n = 10, 21.7%) of patients required renal replacement therapy. Approximately 60% of patients (n = 26) had at least one sequelae, with proteinuria being the most common (n = 15, 38.5%; median (P25-75) urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio 0.30 (0.27-0.44) mg/mg), followed by reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (n = 11, 27.5%; median (P25-75) GFR 75 (62-83) mL/min/1.73 m2). Pediatric AKI is associated with substantial morbidity, with potential for proteinuria development and renal function impairment and a relevant impact on long-term prognosis.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram for Predicting Acute Kidney Injury in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after cardiac surgery and associated with adverse outcomes. The purpose of this study is to construct a nomogram to predict the probability of postoperative AKI in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery. We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study of 1137 children having cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. We randomly divided the included patients into development and validation cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model was used for feature selection. We constructed a multivariable logistic regression model to select predictors and develop a nomogram to predict AKI risk. Discrimination, calibration and clinical benefit of the final prediction model were evaluated in the development and validation cohorts. A simple nomogram was developed to predict risk of postoperative AKI using six predictors including age at operation, cyanosis, CPB duration longer than 120min, cross-clamp time, baseline albumin and baseline creatinine levels. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of the nomogram was 0.739 (95% CI 0.693-0.786) and 0.755 (95% CI 0.694-0.816) for the development and validation cohort, respectively. The calibration curve showed a good correlation between predicted and observed risk of postoperative AKI. Decision curve analysis presented great clinical benefit of the nomogram. This novel nomogram for predicting AKI after pediatric cardiac surgery showed good discrimination, calibration and clinical practicability.

Artificial intelligence in early detection and prediction of pediatric/neonatal acute kidney injury: current status and future directions.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) has a significant impact on the short-term and long-term clinical outcomes of pediatric and neonatal patients, and it is imperative in these populations to mitigate the pathways leading to AKI and be prepared for early diagnosis and treatment intervention of established AKI. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has provided more advent predictive models for early detection/prediction of AKI utilizing machine learning (ML). By providing strong detail and evidence from risk scores and electronic alerts, this review outlines a comprehensive and holistic insight into the current state of AI in AKI in pediatric/neonatal patients. In the pediatric population, AI models including XGBoost, logistic regression, support vector machines, decision trees, naïve Bayes, and risk stratification scores (Renal Angina Index (RAI), Nephrotoxic Injury Negated by Just-in-time Action (NINJA)) have shown success in predicting AKI using variables like serum creatinine, urine output, and electronic health record (EHR) alerts. Similarly, in the neonatal population, using the "Baby NINJA" model showed a decrease in nephrotoxic medication exposure by 42%, the rate of AKI by 78%, and the number of days with AKI by 68%. Furthermore, the "STARZ" risk stratification AI model showed a predictive ability of AKI within 7days of NICU admission of AUC 0.93 and AUC of 0.96 in the validation and derivation cohorts, respectively. Many studies have reported the superiority of using biomarkers to predict AKI in pediatric patients and neonates as well. Future directions include the application of AI along with biomarkers (NGAL, CysC, OPN, IL-18, B2M, etc.) in a Labelbox configuration to create a more robust and accurate model for predicting and detecting pediatric/neonatal AKI.

Risk factors for acute kidney injury in pediatric patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) in pediatric patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remain controversial. This study aimed to identify risk factors for AKI following HSCT in the pediatric population. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases were searched from inception to February 8, 2023. Studies meeting the following criteria were included: (1) The study was a case-control, cohort study, or cross-sectional design, (2) the study was performed among pediatric and young patients aged 21 years or younger undergoing HSCT, (3) the study measured at least one related factor for AKI after pediatric HSCT, (4) the study included a sample of at least ten patients, and (5) original articles published in English in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Children who were undergoing pediatric HSCT. We assessed the quality of the included studies and analyzed them with a random-effect model. Fifteen studies with a total of 2,093 patients were included. All were cohort studies of high quality. The overall pooled incidence of AKI was 47.4% (95%CI 0.35, 0.60). We found significant associations between post-transplant AKI in pediatric patients and unrelated donor [odds ratio (OR) = 1.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-2.79], cord blood stem cell transplantation (OR = 3.14, 95%CI 2.14-4.60), and veno-occlusive disease (VOD)/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) (OR = 6.02, 95%CI 1.40-25.88). Other controversial factors such as myeloablative conditioning (MAC), acute graft vs. host disease (aGVHD), and the use of calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) were not found to be related to AKI after pediatric HSCT. Results were limited mainly by heterogeneity in the characteristics of patients and transplantation. Posttransplant AKI in children is a common complication. Unrelated donors, cord blood stem cell transplantation, and VOD/SOS might be risk factors for AKI after pediatric HSCT. Further large-scale studies are still needed to draw firm conclusions. CRD42022382361 A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

Biomarkers for prediction of acute kidney injury in pediatric patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies.

Severity of acute kidney injury (AKI) confers higher odds of mortality. Timely recognition and early initiation of preventive measures may help mitigate the injury further. Novel biomarkers may aid in the early detection of AKI. The utility of these biomarkers across various clinical settings in children has not been evaluated systematically. To synthesize the currently available evidence on different novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of AKI in pediatric patients. We searched four electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library) for studies published between 2004 and May 2022. Cohort and cross-sectional studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of biomarkers in predicting AKI in children were included. Participants in the study included children (aged less than 18years) at risk of AKI. We used the QUADAS-2 tool for the quality assessment of the included studies. The area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) was meta-analyzed using the random-effect inverse-variance method. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were generated using the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) model. We included 92 studies evaluating 13,097 participants. Urinary NGAL and serum cystatin C were the two most studied biomarkers, with summary AUROC of 0.82 (0.77-0.86) and 0.80 (0.76-0.85), respectively. Among others, urine TIMP-2*IGFBP7, L-FABP, and IL-18 showed fair to good predicting ability for AKI. We observed good diagnostic performance for predicting severe AKI by urine L-FABP, NGAL, and serum cystatin C. Limitations were significant heterogeneity and lack of well-defined cutoff value for various biomarkers. Urine NGAL, L-FABP, TIMP-2*IGFBP7, and cystatin C showed satisfactory diagnostic accuracy in the early prediction of AKI. To further improve the performance of biomarkers, they need to be integrated with other risk stratification models. PROSPERO (CRD42021222698). A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as "Supplementary information".

Evaluation of the safety of piperacillin-tazobactam extended infusion in pediatric cystic fibrosis patients.

Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF)may be treated with piperacillin-tazobactam (PZT)for acute pulmonary exacerbations. Extending the infusion of PZT is one strategy to increase efficacy. Direct comparison, with respect to the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI),between these two strategies has not been evaluated in pediatric patients with CF. The primary objective of this study was to compare the incidence of AKI in pediatric CF patients receiving extended infusion (EI) PZT versus traditional infusion (TI). This IRB-approved, retrospective analysis included patients ages 30 days to 18 years that received PZT for at least 48 h between January 1, 2008, and January 1, 2020. PZT was infused over 30 min(TI group) or 4 h(EI group). Two hundred and four patients were included (TI: 109, EI: 95). Median age was 8 years (4-13) and 7 years (3-12) in the TI and EI groups (p = 0.15). The groups did not differ significantly in their baseline characteristics. There were 12 (11%) AKIs in the TI group and 8 (8.4%) in the EI group (p = 0.53). There was one occurrence of serum sickness in the TI group and none in the EI group. The incidence of thrombocytopenia was similar between the two groups. Median treatment duration was 8 days (5-11) and 9 days (5-13) for the TI and EI groups, respectively (p = 0.24). There was no significant increase in AKI in pediatric patients with CF receiving PZT by EI compared withTI. EI may be utilized to optimize the pharmacokinetics of PZT in pediatric CF patients.

Hyperchloremia and association with acute kidney injury in critically ill children.

Hyperchloremia has been associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill adult patients. Data is limited in pediatric patients. Our study sought to determine if an association exists between hyperchloremia and AKI in pediatric patients admitted to the intensive care unit (PICU). This is a single-center retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients admitted to the PICU for greater than 24h and who received intravenous fluids. Patients were excluded if they had a diagnosis of kidney disease or required kidney replacement therapy (KRT) within 6h of admission. Exposures were hyperchloremia (serum chloride ≥ 110mmol/L) within the first 7days of PICU admission. The primary outcome was the development of AKI using the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Secondary outcomes included time on mechanical ventilation, new KRT, PICU length of stay, and mortality. Outcomes were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. There were 407 patients included in the study, 209 in the hyperchloremic group and 198 in the non-hyperchloremic group. Univariate analysis demonstrated 108 (51.7%) patients in the hyperchloremic group vs. 54 (27.3%) in the non-hyperchloremic group (p = < .001) with AKI. On multivariate analysis, the odds ratio of AKI with hyperchloremia was 2.24 (95% CI 1.39-3.61) (p = .001). Hyperchloremia was not associated with increased odds of mortality, need for KRT, time on mechanical ventilation, or length of stay. Hyperchloremia was associated with AKI in critically ill pediatric patients. Further pediatric clinical trials are needed to determine the benefit of a chloride restrictive vs. liberal fluid strategy. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

Association Of Liver Fatty Acid Binding Protein With Acute Kidney Injury In Paediatric Patients After Cardiac Surgery.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after cardiac surgery. Like Creatinine level, the role of L-FABP in renal injury and its recovery had been shown by studies, so by using/measuring urinary Liver fatty acid-binding protein (uL-FABP) levels it can be a valuable biomarker for monitoring and diagnosis of various renal diseases. The study aimed to determine L-FABP as a biomarker for early diagnosis of AKI acute kidney injury in paediatric patients after cardiac surgery so that early treatment interventions can prevent AKI morbidity. This descriptive study was conducted in the Pathology laboratory of Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore from 2015 to 2016. Selected through convenience sampling, patients' blood and urine were analysed for desired markers. Out of 88, 10 (11.4%) patients developed AKI after cardiac surgery. In patients with AKI, serum creatinine levels started to rise at 24-48 h after surgery whereas uL-FABP was to be high at 4h. The optimal cut-off value of uLFABP was found 269 ng/l, with this cut-off value sensitivity of marker at four hours to recognize AKI was found to be 80% and specificity was 83.3%, the positive and negative predictive values were 38.1% and 97.0% respectively with an accuracy level 83.0%. It may be concluded from this study that uL-FABP may be considered as an early predictor of the development of AKI in paediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

PCRRT Expert Committee ICONIC Position Paper on Prescribing Kidney Replacement Therapy in Critically Sick Children With Acute Liver Failure.

Management of acute liver failure (ALF) and acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) in the pediatric population can be challenging. Kidney manifestations of liver failure, such as hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) and acute kidney injury (AKI), are increasingly prevalent and may portend a poor prognosis. The overall incidence of AKI in children with ALF has not been well-established, partially due to the difficulty of precisely estimating kidney function in these patients. The true incidence of AKI in pediatric patients may still be underestimated due to decreased creatinine production in patients with advanced liver dysfunction and those with critical conditions including shock and cardiovascular compromise with poor kidney perfusion. Current treatment for kidney dysfunction secondary to liver failure include conservative management, intravenous fluids, and kidney replacement therapy (KRT). Despite the paucity of evidence-based recommendations concerning the application of KRT in children with kidney dysfunction in the setting of ALF, expert clinical opinions have been evaluated regarding the optimal modalities and timing of KRT, dialysis/replacement solutions, blood and dialysate flow rates and dialysis dose, and anticoagulation methods.

The Causes of Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Children Who Needs Renal Replacement Therapy.

Background:Acute kidney injury (AKI) is the result of various causes and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality as well as long-term renal sequelae in pediatric patients.Objectives:The aim of the study is to determine the causes of AKI in pediatric patients who needed renal replacement therapy (RRT) and were admitted to the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PICU and NICU) at the Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center Sarajevo (UCCS).Methods:Our research included 81 children with AKI who needed RRT. We used the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria to define AKI. Severe acute kidney injury was defined as stage 2 or 3 of AKI when plasma creatinine level ≥2 times the baseline level or urine output <0.5 ml per kilogram of body weight per hour for ≥12 hours. Other laboratory findings and imaging tests were made depending on their primary disease that led to the AKI and its complications.Results:Our research analyzed 81 children with AKI who needed RRT 38 girls and 43 boys ages from birth to 18 years. Mean age of presentation was 6.28 years. Male female ratio in this study was 1.1:1. Non-olyguric AKI was diagnosed in 12 (14.8%) of children with AKI, while the rest 69 (85.2%) had the olyguric type. Patients with AKI were analyzed after a rough division on prerenal in 57 (70.4%) children, intrarenal in 23 (28.4%) and post-renal in 1 (1.2%) patient.Conclusion:As the AKI plays a key role in the mortality and morbidity in pediatric patients, especially in infants, it is important to recognise and treatment on time different etiologies of this serious condition. Some causes of AKI in our country can be prevented by better organization of primary and secondary health care, which would also reduce mortality and morbidity from AKI.

The relationship between hyperchloremia and acute kidney injury in pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis and its impact on clinical outcomes.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is characterized by hyperglycemia, ketogenesis, and increased anion gap metabolic acidosis. Such derangements are accompanied by volume depletion as well as electrolyte disturbances. Resuscitation using traditional saline in DKA patients can exacerbate electrolyte abnormalities, in particular the production of hyperchloremia. Severe hypovolemia can result in acute kidney injury (AKI). The link between hyperchloremia and AKI is controversial. This study aimed to assess the relationship between hyperchloremia and AKI in pediatric patients with DKA and its impacts on clinical outcomes. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 70 children with DKA admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit in which all patients were subjected to detailed medical history taking and full clinical examination. Daily assessment of Na, K, urea, creatinine, chloride, arterial blood gases, and albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) was done. AKI was defined as pRIFLE stage I and F. Hyperchloremia was detected in 65.7% of patients at admission and in 52.9% after 24h (p = 0.17). AKI was documented in 28% of patients. At admission hyperchloremia was detected in 56% of patients without AKI versus 90% of patients with AKI (p = 0.007). After 24h, hyperchloremia was detected in 48.4% patients without versus 100% of patients with AKI. Chloride was significantly positively correlated to duration of admission, creatinine, ACR, and negatively correlated to eGFR. The development of AKI in patients with DKA was accompanied by hyperchloremia, increased time to DKA resolution, and longer hospital stay. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

Evaluating and Mitigating Risk of Acute Kidney Injury with the Combination of Vancomycin and Piperacillin-Tazobactam in Children.

The antibiotic combination of vancomycin (VAN) and piperacillin-tazobactam (PTZ) has been associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) in both adult and pediatric patients. In this review, we highlight some of the limitations of existing pediatric studies evaluating the combination of VAN/PTZ, focusing on AKI risk in specific pediatric patient populations. We also review the variability in defining AKI in children and provide guidance to clinicians for use of prospective surveillance and stewardship in mitigating the risk of AKI in pediatric patients treated with combination of VAN/PTZ. Based on review of available pediatric studies, if the combination of VAN/PTZ is selected as an empirical antibiotic combination, it should be used in those at low risk for AKI and should be used with extreme caution in patients with additional nephrotoxic risks. Systems should be in place to monitor the use of VAN/PTZ and associated renal function in those receiving this antibiotic combination.

Hyperferritinemia and acute kidney injury in pediatric patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) often occurs in pediatric patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We evaluated the risk and effect of HCT-related AKI in pediatric patients. We retrospectively studied the survival and renal outcome of 69 children 100days and 1-year posttransplant in our institution in 2004-2016. Stage-3 AKI developed in 34 patients (49%) until 100days posttransplant. The 100-day overall survival (OS) rates of patients with stage-3 AKI were lower than those without it (76.5% vs. 94.3%, P= 0.035). The 1-year OS rates did not differ markedly between 21 post-100-day survivors with stage-3 AKI and 29 without it (80.8% vs. 87.9%, P= 0.444). The causes of 19 deaths included the relapse of underlying disease or graft failure (n= 11), treatment-related events (4), and second HCT-related events (4). Underlying disease of malignancy (crude hazard ratio (HR) 5.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.20 to 14.96), > 1000ng/mL ferritinemia (crude HR 4.29; 95% CI, 2.11 to 8.71), stem cell source of peripheral (crude HR 2.96; 95% CI, 1.22 to 7.20) or cord blood (crude HR 2.29; 95% CI, 1.03 to 5.06), and myeloablative regimen (crude HR 2.56; 95% CI, 1.24 to 5.26), were identified as risk factors for stage-3 AKI until 100days posttransplant. Hyperferritinemia alone was significant (adjusted HR 5.52; 95% CI, 2.21 to 13.76) on multivariable analyses. Hyperferritinemia was associated with stage-3 AKI and early mortality posttransplant. Pretransplant iron control may protect the kidney of pediatric HCT survivors.

Urinary NMR Profiling in Pediatric Acute Kidney Injury-A Pilot Study.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill children and adults is associated with significant short- and long-term morbidity and mortality. As serum creatinine- and urine output-based definitions of AKI have relevant limitations, there is a persistent need for better diagnostics of AKI. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy allows for analysis of metabolic profiles without extensive sample manipulations. In the study reported here, we examined the diagnostic accuracy of NMR urine metabolite patterns for the diagnosis of neonatal and pediatric AKI according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) definition. A cohort of 65 neonatal and pediatric patients (0–18 years) with established AKI of heterogeneous etiology was compared to both a group of apparently healthy children (n = 53) and a group of critically ill children without AKI (n = 31). Multivariate analysis identified a panel of four metabolites that allowed diagnosis of AKI with an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC-ROC) of 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.86–1.00). Especially urinary citrate levels were significantly reduced whereas leucine and valine levels were elevated. Metabolomic differentiation of AKI causes appeared promising but these results need to be validated in larger studies. In conclusion, this study shows that NMR spectroscopy yields high diagnostic accuracy for AKI in pediatric patients.

Incidence Of Acute Kidney Injury Following Cardiac Catheterization in Early Post-Operative Period in Children With Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: Cardiac catheterization (CC) is commonly performed following surgery for congenital heart defects (CHD) for diagnosis and intervention of residual lesions. Use of contrast during CC increases risk for acute kidney injury (AKI), although data are lacking. Our purpose was to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of AKI in pediatric patients who underwent CC within 14 days after CHD surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: This was a retrospective chart review ofall children CHD surgery with CPB at a single Children';s Hospital. Patients known to have renal failure were …

Hyperchloremia Is Not an Independent Risk Factor for Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury in Pediatric Cardiac Patients

Hyperchloremia recently has been shown to have an association with the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients. However, there is little information about the prevalence of an abnormal chloride concentration after pediatric cardiac surgery and its association with postoperative AKI. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyperchloremia and its association with AKI in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery. A retrospective single-center study. Referral high-volume pediatric cardiac center in a tertiary teaching hospital. Patients under 72 months of age with congenital heart disease who underwent cardiac surgery with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. None. The primary outcome was development of AKI diagnosed by Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes consensus criteria. The associations of outcomes with the highest serum chloride concentration ([Cl-]max) and time-weighted average chloride concentration ([Cl-]ave) within the first 48 hours after surgery were investigated. Of 521 patients included in the study, 463 patients (88.9%) had hyperchloremia at least 1 time within the first 48 hours after surgery. Postoperative AKI occurred in 205 patients (39.3%). [Cl-]ave and [Cl-]max in the AKI group were significantly higher than those in the non-AKI group (112 [110-114] mEq/L v 111 [109-113] mEq/L, p = 0.001 and 116 [113, 119] mEq/L v 114 [112-118] mEq/L, p = 0.002, respectively). After adjustment for other predictors of AKI by multivariable analyses, neither [Cl-]ave nor [Cl-]max was associated independently with the development of AKI (odds ratio [OR] = 1.040, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.885-1.220, p = 0.63; OR = 0.992, 95% CI: 0.874-1.130. p = 0.90). Postoperative hyperchloremia was common and was associated with the development of AKI in pediatric patients after congenital cardiac surgery in univariate analysis. After adjustment for predictors of AKI by multivariate analyses, there was no significant relationship between postoperative chloride concentration and AKI.

Association Between Early Postoperative Acetaminophen Exposure and Acute Kidney Injury in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and serious complication for pediatric cardiac surgery patients associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and length of stay. Current strategies focus on risk reduction and early identification because there are no known preventive or therapeutic agents. Cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass lyse erythrocytes, releasing free hemoglobin and contributing to oxidative injury. Acetaminophen may prevent AKI by reducing the oxidation state of free hemoglobin. To test the hypothesis that early postoperative acetaminophen exposure is associated with reduced risk of AKI in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery. In this retrospective cohort study, the setting was 2 tertiary referral children's hospitals. The primary and validation cohorts included children older than 28 days admitted for cardiac surgery between July 1, 2008, and June 1, 2016. Exclusion criteria were postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and inadequate serum creatinine measurements to determine AKI status. Acetaminophen exposure in the first 48 postoperative hours. Acute kidney injury based on Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes serum creatinine criteria (increase by ≥0.3 mg/dL from baseline or at least 1.5-fold more than the baseline [to convert to micromoles per liter, multiply by 88.4]) in the first postoperative week. The primary cohort (n = 666) had a median age of 6.5 (interquartile range [IQR], 3.9-44.7) months, and 341 (51.2%) had AKI. In unadjusted analyses, those with AKI had lower median acetaminophen doses than those without AKI (47 [IQR, 16-88] vs 78 [IQR, 43-104] mg/kg, P < .001). In logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, cardiopulmonary bypass time, red blood cell distribution width, postoperative hypotension, nephrotoxin exposure, and Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery score, acetaminophen exposure was protective against postoperative AKI (odds ratio, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.82-0.90] per each additional 10 mg/kg). Findings were replicated in the validation cohort (n = 333), who had a median age of 14.1 (IQR, 3.9-158.2) months, and 162 (48.6%) had AKI. Acetaminophen doses were 60 (95% CI, 40-87) mg/kg in those with AKI vs 70 (95% CI, 45-94) mg/kg in those without AKI (P = .03), with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.84-0.99) for each additional 10 mg/kg. These results indicate that early postoperative acetaminophen exposure may be associated with a lower rate of AKI in pediatric patients who undergo cardiac surgery. Further analysis to validate these findings, potentially through a prospective, randomized trial, may establish acetaminophen as a preventive agent for AKI.

Acute kidney injury in children with chronic liver disease

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common accompaniment in patients with liver disease. The causes, risk factors, manifestations and management of AKI in these patients vary according to the liver disease in question (acute liver failure, acute-on-chronic liver failure, post-liver transplantation or metabolic liver disease). There are multiple causes of AKI in patients with liver disease—pre-renal, acute tubular necrosis, post-renal, drug-induced renal failure and hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). Definitions of AKI in liver failure are periodically revised and updated, but pediatric definitions have still to see the light of the day. As our understanding of the pathophysiology of liver disease and renal involvement improves, treatment modalities have become more advanced and rationalized. Treatment includes reversing precipitating factors, such as infections and gastrointestinal bleeding, volume expansion, paracentesis and vasoconstrictors. This approach is tried and tested in adults. A pediatric tailored approach is still lacking due to inadequate numbers of patients, differences in causes of AKI and paucity of literature. In this review, we attempt to explore the pathophysiological basis, treatment modalities and controversies in the diagnosis and treatment of AKI in pediatric patients with chronic liver disease and discuss our own personal practice. We recognize that, although it is not a very commonly encountered entity in pediatric population, HRS has specific diagnostic criteria and treatment modalities that differ from other causes of AKI in patients with chronic liver disease; hence among the etiologies of kidney injury in patients with chronic liver disease, we focus here on HRS.

Incidence and outcome of acute kidney injury by the pRIFLE criteria for children receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation after heart surgery.

BACKGROUNDAcute kidney injury (AKI) is common in patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The RIFLE criteria demonstrate clinical relevance for diagnosing AKI and classifying its severity.OBJECTIVESTo systematically define the incidence, clinical course and outcome of AKI using the pediatric pRIFLE criteria.DESIGNRetrospective, medical records review.SETTINGSPediatric cardiac surgical intensive care units at a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe reviewed the records of all pediatric patients that underwent cardiac surgery and required ECMO postoperatively between 1 January 2011 and 1 January 2016. AKI was classified according to the pRIFLE criteria 48 hours after ECMO initiation. Demographics and concomitant therapies for all patients were collected.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)Outcome was assessed by recovery from AKI at time of discharge, ICU stay and mortality.RESULTSFifty-nine patients needed ECMO after cardiac surgery during the study period. Their mean (SD) age and weight was 11.0 (16.5) month and 5.5 (3.6) kg, respectively. All patients had a central venoarterial ECMO inserted. Fifty-three patients (90%) developed AKI after ECMO initiation. The majority of patients (57%) were categorized as pRIFLE-Failure, having a higher mortality rate (28/34 patients, 82%) in comparison to the pRIFLE-Injury and pRIFLE-Risk groups. Twenty-nine patients (49%) required either peritoneal dialysis (PD), or renal replacement therapy (RRT) or both. For AKI vs non-AKI patients, there was a statistically significant difference between mean (SD) ECMO duration (9.0 [8.00] vs 6.0 [2.0] days; P=.02) and ICU stay (37.0 [41.0] vs 21.0 [5.0] days; P=.03), respectively. The overall mortality rate was 58%, with a significant difference (P=.03) between AKI and non-AKI groups. All the patients who survived had normal creatinine clearance at hospital discharge.CONCLUSIONThere is a high incidence of AKI in pediatric patients requiring ECMO after cardiac surgery, and it is associated with higher mortality, increased ECMO duration, and increased ventilator days.LIMITATIONSSingle-center retrospective analysis and the small sample size limited the precision of our estimates in sub-populations.

Acute Kidney Injury Following Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Children - Risk Factors and Outcomes.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is the most common and most serious complication following heart surgery. We aimed to determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for, AKI following pediatric cardiac surgery.Methods and Results:We retrospectively analyzed 135 patients aged ≤18 years who underwent cardiac surgery for congenital heart defects; by RACHS-1 category, 58 patients (43%) had an operative risk score ≥3. AKI was defined and classified using the pediatric pRIFLE criteria (Pediatric Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, and End-stage Kidney Disease); 19 patients (14.1%) developed AKI: 17 had AKI with a severity classified as risk (R) and 2 had AKI classified as injury (I). Body weight, height, body surface area, and preoperative mechanical ventilation were all independently associated with AKI development (P=0.038, 0.040, 0.033 and 0.008, respectively). Preoperative ventilation strongly correlated with AKI severity. Higher pRIFLE classification positively correlated with increased incidence of peritoneal dialysis, increased postoperative mechanical ventilation duration, and longer hospital stay (P=0.009, 0.039 and 0.042, respectively). In this study, we found a low prevalence of postoperative AKI in pediatric patients undergoing severe cardiac surgery. AKI was associated with worse early postoperative outcomes. Early prediction and appropriate treatment of AKI during the postoperative period are emphasized.