Pediatric AKI Research Articles

Advancements in Predicting Pediatric AKI Using Artificial Intelligence: A Systematic Review

Advancements in Predicting Pediatric AKI Using Artificial Intelligence: A Systematic Review

Does Kidney Echogenicity Correlate to eGFR in Pediatric AKI?

Does Kidney Echogenicity Correlate to eGFR in Pediatric AKI?

Advances in pediatric acute kidney injury pharmacology and nutrition: a report from the 26th Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) consensus conference

BackgroundIn the past decade, there have been substantial advances in our understanding of pediatric AKI. Despite this progress, large gaps remain in our understanding of pharmacology and nutritional therapy in pediatric AKI.MethodsDuring the 26th Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) Consensus Conference, a multidisciplinary group of experts reviewed the evidence and used a modified Delphi process to achieve consensus on recommendations for gaps and advances in care for pharmacologic and nutritional management of pediatric AKI. The current evidence as well as gaps and opportunities were discussed, and recommendations were summarized.ResultsTwo consensus statements were developed. (1) High-value, kidney-eliminated medications should be selected for a detailed characterization of their pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmaco-“omics” in sick children across the developmental continuum. This will allow for the optimization of real-time modeling with the goal of improving patient care. Nephrotoxin stewardship will be identified as an organizational priority and supported with necessary resources and infrastructure. (2) Patient-centered outcomes (functional status, quality of life, and optimal growth and development) must drive targeted nutritional interventions to optimize short- and long-term nutrition. Measures of acute and chronic changes of anthropometrics, body composition, physical function, and metabolic control should be incorporated into nutritional assessments.ConclusionsNeonates and children have unique metabolic and growth parameters compared to adult patients. Strategic investments in multidisciplinary translational research efforts are required to fill the knowledge gaps in nutritional requirements and pharmacological best practices for children with or at risk for AKI.

Prospective Cohort Study of Pediatric AKI in Korea

Prospective Cohort Study of Pediatric AKI in Korea

Diuretic Use, Comorbidity, and Length of Stay in Pediatric AKI

Diuretic Use, Comorbidity, and Length of Stay in Pediatric AKI

Long-Term Kidney Outcomes Following Dialysis-Treated Childhood Acute Kidney Injury: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

AKI is common during pediatric hospitalizations and associated with adverse short-term outcomes. However, long-term outcomes among survivors of pediatric AKI who received dialysis remain uncertain. To determine the long-term risk of kidney failure (defined as receipt of chronic dialysis or kidney transplant) or death over a 22-year period for pediatric survivors of dialysis-treated AKI, we used province-wide health administrative databases to perform a retrospective cohort study of all neonates and children (aged 0-18 years) hospitalized in Ontario, Canada, from April 1, 1996, to March 31, 2017, who survived a dialysis-treated AKI episode. Each AKI survivor was matched to four hospitalized pediatric comparators without dialysis-treated AKI, on the basis of age, sex, and admission year. We reported the incidence of each outcome and performed Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, adjusting for relevant covariates. We identified 1688 pediatric dialysis-treated AKI survivors (median age 5 years) and 6752 matched comparators. Among AKI survivors, 53.7% underwent mechanical ventilation and 33.6% had cardiac surgery. During a median 9.6-year follow-up, AKI survivors were at significantly increased risk of a composite outcome of kidney failure or death versus comparators. Death occurred in 113 (6.7%) AKI survivors, 44 (2.6%) developed kidney failure, 174 (12.1%) developed hypertension, 213 (13.1%) developed CKD, and 237 (14.0%) had subsequent AKI. AKI survivors had significantly higher risks of developing CKD and hypertension versus comparators. Risks were greatest in the first year after discharge and gradually decreased over time. Survivors of pediatric dialysis-treated AKI are at higher long-term risks of kidney failure, death, CKD, and hypertension, compared with a matched hospitalized cohort.

Frequency of Exposure of Nephrotoxic Drugs and Drug-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Review From a Tertiary Care Centre in Pakistan.

IntroductionAcute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common problems seen in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), with an overall 27% incidence. Besides many other factors, nephrotoxic medications (Nephrotoxins; Ntx) are also responsible for a large proportion of potentially avoidable pediatric AKI, directly accounting for 16% of AKI events.ObjectiveTo assess potential associations between nephrotoxic drugs and the risk of developing AKI in children admitted in PICU.Material and methodsThis is a retrospective cross-sectional study. Children (aged 1 month - 18 years) admitted to the PICU, with a length of stay >24 hours, were included. AKI was defined as according to KDIGO (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes) criteria. Mild AKI was defined as a rise in creatinine value of 0.3 mg/dl from presenting value at a 24-hour interval. Patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of AKI. All medications administered in the ICU were assessed for nephrotoxicity through a review of adverse reactions mentioned in the Pediatric Dosage Handbook, along with consultation with a clinical pharmacist.ResultsAmong 752 patients, the mean age was 4.8 years ± 4.37. There were 57.3% male and 42.7% female children. Among the exposed children, 37.4% received one drug, 32.4% received two drugs and 12.1% had high nephrotoxin exposure. The most commonly used drug was vancomycin (16.8%), as a single Ntx; vancomycin/colistin (12.9%), in dual nephrotoxic combination; and vancomycin/colistin/amphotericin (2.9%) in highly exposed children (i.e., with equal or more than three). Overall, the incidence of AKI was 14.9%.ConclusionNephrotoxins are potentially avoidable risk factors in critically ill children. Whenever a combination of medications is required, it’s advisable to review all medications for better protection of kidneys and preventing of acute kidney injury.

Impact of and risk factors for pediatric acute kidney injury defined by the pROCK criteria in a Chinese PICU population.

The definition of pediatric AKI continues to evolve. We aimed to find a better AKI definition to predict outcomes and identify risk factors for AKI in a Chinese PICU. This study consisted of 3338 patients hospitalized in a Chinese PICU between 2016 and 2018. AKI was defined and staged using pROCK criteria, which were compared with KDIGO criteria. AKI outcomes, including mortality, daily cost and length of stay (LOS), were assessed. Risk factors for AKI were also estimated. The incidence of AKI in the PICU was 7.7% according to pROCK criteria. The characteristics of patients with KDIGO-defined AKI who did not meet the pROCK were similar to those without AKI. pROCK outperformed KDIGO in predicting mortality with a higher c index in the Cox models (0.81 versus 0.79, P = 0.013). AKI, as well as AKI stages, were associated with higher mortality (HR: 10.5, 95%CI: 6.66-19.5), daily cost (β = 2064, P < 0.01) and LOS (β = 2.30, P < 0.01). Age, comorbidities, mechanical ventilation (MV), pediatric critical illness score (PCIS) and exposure to drugs had significant influence on AKI occurrence. The mortality predictability of pROCK was slightly greater than that of KDIGO. Older age, underlying comorbidities, MV, decreased PCIS and exposure to drugs were potential risk factors for AKI. Two AKI criteria, pROCK and KDIGO, were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality and pROCK was slightly greater than that of KDIGO. Older age, comorbidities, mechanical ventilation, decreased PCIS and exposure to drugs were potential risk factors for AKI. This study first used the pROCK criteria to provide an epidemiologic description of pediatric AKI in Chinese PICU. This study compared the AKI outcomes across the pROCK and KDIGO AKI criteria, indicating the prior utility for AKI classification in Chinese children. This study indicated that the potential risk factors for AKI were older age, comorbidities, mechanical ventilation, decreased PCIS and exposure to drugs.

Pediatric Acute Kidney Injury-The Time for Nihilism Is Over.

Nihilism has been pervasive in the acute kidney injury field for decades, given that no studies, had been able to reduce AKI rates in hospitalized patients. Furthermore, children with AKI comprise an orphan population, where there is little incentive to develop diagnostics, therapeutics or devices specifically for them. The 3rd International Symposium on Acute Kidney Injury in Children, held in Cincinnati in October 2018, provided a platform to demonstrate the advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of children with, or at-risk for AKI, and also highlighted barriers to advancing care for this population. The progress made in the pediatric AKI since the 2nd International Symposium in 2016, highlighted the positive outcomes emanating from federal agency, private foundation and corporate sponsor investment in pediatric AKI. As a result, the time should be over for nihilism in the pediatric field.

Single kidney transplantation from donors with acute kidney injury: A single‐center experience

Despite a severe shortage of organ supply, patients are reluctant to accept organs from deceased donors with AKI, let alone from pediatric AKI donors. We assessed 70 patients who received kidneys from donors with AKI (10 with pediatric and 60 with adult donors) and 176 contemporaneous patients who received kidneys from non-AKI donors (41 with pediatric and 135 with adult donors) between March 2012 and February 2017 for retrospectively evaluating the clinical outcomes. AKI was defined and staging by the RIFLE criteria and pediatric-modified RIFLE criteria. Median age was 11.00years IQR (4.50-14.00years), and median weight was 25.00kg (IQR, 17.00-45.00kg) for all pediatric donors. Median follow-up was 8months (range, 1-49months). Adult AKI group had the highest incidence of DGF (35.0% vs 10%, 9.8%, and 19.3%, P=0.011). There was a significant increase in DGF in higher AKI stages (Risk: 20.7%, Injury: 46.7%, Failure: 50.0%; P=0.014) among patients with adult donors. No significant differences were noted in 1-year (100.0%, 95.1%, 98.3%, and 97.8%; P=0.751) and 3-year (100.0%, 95.1%, 98.3%, and 97.8%; P=0.751) patient survival, and 1-year (90.0%, 97.6%, 98.3%, and 95.6%; P=0.535) and 3-year (90.0%, 97.6%, 98.3%, and 95.6%; P=0.535) graft survival. Transplants procured from donors with AKI, particularly pediatric ones, could achieve excellent intermediate-term clinical outcomes and thus potentially expand the donor pool.

Acute Kidney Injury among Hospitalized Children in China.

High-quality epidemiologic data on AKI in children are particularly lacking in developing countries. This study aimed to assess the epidemiology and clinical correlates of AKI among hospitalized children in China. We performed a multicenter study, in a cohort of hospitalized children aged 1 month to 18 years, from 25 general and children's hospitals in China during 2013-2015. We obtained patient-level data from the electronic hospitalization information system and laboratory databases of all children who had at least two serum creatinine tests within any 7-day window during their first 30 days of hospitalization. We identified AKI events according to the creatinine criteria of Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes. The in-hospital outcomes of AKI, including mortality, kidney recovery, and length of stay, were assessed. We estimated the corresponding hazard ratios using a Cox proportional hazard model, with adjustment for age, sex, comorbidities, and clinical procedures. A total of 19,908 (20%) patients with AKI were identified among 101,836 pediatric inpatients, of which 7220 (7%) were community acquired and 12,688 (13%) were hospital acquired. Up to 96% of these AKI events were not diagnosed on the discharge records. The cumulative incidence of AKI in infants (28%) was twice that in adolescents (12%). The profiles of risk factors differed between community-acquired and hospital-acquired AKI and varied with age. Diarrhea and sepsis were the top risk factors for community-acquired AKI, each contributing 6% of the risk. Congenital heart disease/cardiac surgery was the major risk factor for hospital-acquired AKI, contributing to 19% of cases. Exposure to nephrotoxic drugs, mostly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and proton pump inhibitors, was common in hospitalized children and was associated with a higher risk of AKI. Death occurred in 842 out of 19,908 patients (4%) with AKI versus 450 out of 81,478 children (0.5%) without AKI. The risk of in-hospital death was higher among children with severe AKI, shock, and respiratory failure. Pediatric AKI was associated with longer hospital stay and higher daily cost, even after adjustment for covariates. Pediatric AKI is common and is substantially underdiagnosed in China.

Healthcare Utilization after Acute Kidney Injury in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Little is known about the long-term burden of AKI in the pediatric intensive care unit. We aim to evaluate if pediatric AKI is associated with higher health service use post-hospital discharge. This is a retrospective cohort study of children (≤18 years old) admitted to two tertiary centers in Montreal, Canada. Only the first admission per patient was included. AKI was defined in two ways: serum creatinine alone or serum creatinine and/or urine output. The outcomes were 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and physician visits per person-time using provincial administrative data. Univariable and multivariable Poisson regression were used to evaluate AKI associations with outcomes. A total of 2041 children were included (56% male, mean admission age 6.5±5.8 years); 299 of 1575 (19%) developed AKI defined using serum creatinine alone, and when urine output was included in the AKI definition 355 of 1622 (22%) children developed AKI. AKI defined using serum creatinine alone and AKI defined using serum creatinine and urine output were both associated with higher 1- and 5-year hospitalization risk (AKI by serum creatinine alone adjusted relative risk, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 1.82; and 1.80; 1.54 to 2.11, respectively [similar when urine output was included]) and higher 5-year physician visits (adjusted relative risk, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.14 to 1.39). AKI was not associated with emergency room use after adjustments. AKI is independently associated with higher hospitalizations and physician visits postdischarge.

Epidemiology and outcomes of community-acquired and hospital-acquired acute kidney injury in children and adolescents.

BackgroundHospital-acquired acute kidney injury (HA-AKI) is associated with an increased risk of childhood mortality; however, only a few studies have addressed community-acquired AKI (CA-AKI).MethodsAKI network classification was used to assess CA- and HA-AKI, 2010-2014. Patients with CA-AKI who were admitted to an inpatient setting were categorized as CAA-AKI. CANA-AKI was for CA-AKI not admitted to inpatient care. Epidemiology, factors associated with AKI, and in-hospital outcomes were assessed for variation.ResultsPrevalence of CANA-AKI was 4/1,000 outpatient visits, 17/1,000 hospital admissions for CAA-AKI, and 9.69/1,000 hospital admissions for HA-AKI. Mortality was higher among AKI patients (HA-AKI, 13.64%; CAA-AKI, 3.7%) than in no-AKI patients (0.57%). Patients with AKI and those with severe stages of AKI resulted in an increase in health-care service utilization (both P<0.001). Prior renal disease and recent hospitalization were associated with pediatric AKI in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Hematological malignancies, congenital anomalies, circulatory disease, and nephrotoxic medication use were associated with AKI, although the extent of associations varied slightly by setting.ConclusionIncreasing incidence of AKI in the community emphasizes the need for an increased awareness of AKI among health professionals to identify at-risk children and monitor SCr, so that modifiable risk factors can be managed.

Acute kidney injury with thrombocytopenia

Pediatric AKI presents with a wide range of clinical manifestations from a minimal elevation in serum creatinine to anuric renal failure, arises from multiple causes and occurs in a variety of clinical settings. The prognosis of AKI is highly dependent on the underlying etiology of the AKI. Thrombocytopenia is one of the most common laboratory findings in the ICU. The causes of acute kidney injury associated with thrombocytopenia are very few. This chapter gives an overview of etiology, incidence, diagnosis, conservative treatment, of various causes of AKI associated with thrombocytopenia in children beyond the newborn period in the context of advances made in this field.

Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis of AKI in Children: One Size Does Not Fit All.

Pediatric AKI has become a significant health concern due to its rising incidence and association with adverse outcomes. Because of the limitations of serum creatinine, ongoing research has evaluated multiple novel biomarkers for the early detection of AKI. Identifying biomarkers that precede changes in serum creatinine is vital, because these biomarkers provide opportunities to improve outcomes through early diagnosis and timely disease management. In this review, we discuss salient findings on 16 candidate biomarkers and their association with AKI. We explore the differences in biomarker distribution by age and discuss why adult biomarker research findings cannot be directly extrapolated to children. With future research, more consideration needs to be given to how the maturing kidney affects biomarker levels and how we interpret biomarker performance in children. A comprehensive approach using age-specific biomarker reference ranges is required to develop pediatric biomarkers and improve outcomes for children with kidney disease.

Treatment of AKI in developing and developed countries: An international survey of pediatric dialysis modalities.

HypothesisAcute kidney injury (AKI) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a pediatric incidence ranging from 19.3% to 24.1%. Treatment of pediatric AKI is a source of debate in varying geographical regions. Currently CRRT is the treatment for pediatric AKI, but limitations due to cost and accessibility force use of adult equipment and other therapeutic options such as peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD). It was hypothesized that more cost-effective measures would likely be used in developing countries due to lesser resource availability.MethodsA 26-question internet-based survey was distributed to 650 pediatric Nephrologists. There was a response rate of 34.3% (223 responses). The survey was distributed via pedneph and pcrrt email servers, inquiring about demographics, technology, resources, pediatric-specific supplies, and preference in renal replacement therapy (RRT) in pediatric AKI. The main method of analysis was to compare responses about treatments between nephrologists in developed countries and nephrologists in developing countries using difference-of-proportions tests.ResultsPD was available in all centers surveyed, while HD was available in 85.1% and 54.1% (p = 0.00), CRRT was available in 60% and 33.3% (p = 0.001), and SLED was available in 20% and 25% (p = 0.45) centers of developed and developing world respectively. In developing countries, 68.5% (p = 0.000) of physicians preferred PD to costlier therapies, while in developed countries it was found that physicians favored HD (72%, p = 0.00) or CRRT (24%, p = 0.041) in infants.ConclusionsLack of availability of resources, trained physicians and funds often preclude standards of care in developing countries, and there is much development needed in terms of meeting higher global standards for treating pediatric AKI patients. PD remains the main modality of choice for treatment of AKI in infants in developing world.

Development of a Prediction Model of Early Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Children Using Electronic Health Record Data.

Acute kidney injury is independently associated with poor outcomes in critically ill children. However, the main biomarker of acute kidney injury, serum creatinine, is a late marker of injury and can cause a delay in diagnosis. Our goal was to develop and validate a data-driven multivariable clinical prediction model of acute kidney injury in a general PICU using electronic health record data. Derivation and validation of a prediction model using retrospective data. All patients 1 month to 21 years old admitted between May 2003 and March 2015 without acute kidney injury at admission and alive and in the ICU for at least 24 hours. A multidisciplinary, tertiary PICU. The primary outcome was early acute kidney injury, which was defined as new acute kidney injury developed in the ICU within 72 hours of admission. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to derive the Pediatric Early AKI Risk Score using electronic health record data from the first 12 hours of ICU stay. A total of 9,396 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 4% had early acute kidney injury, and these had significantly higher mortality than those without early acute kidney injury (26% vs 3.3%; p < 0.001). Thirty-three candidate variables were tested. The final model had seven predictors and had good discrimination (area under the curve 0.84) and appropriate calibration. The model was validated in two validation sets and maintained good discrimination (area under the curves, 0.81 and 0.86). We developed and validated the Pediatric Early AKI Risk Score, a data-driven acute kidney injury clinical prediction model that has good discrimination and calibration in a general PICU population using only electronic health record data that is objective, available in real time during the first 12 hours of ICU care and generalizable across PICUs. This prediction model was designed to be implemented in the form of an automated clinical decision support system and could be used to guide preventive, therapeutic, and research strategies.

AKI in Hospitalized Children

Although AKI is common among hospitalized children, comprehensive epidemiologic data are lacking. This study characterizes pediatric AKI across the United States and identifies AKI risk factors using high-content/high-throughput analytic techniques. For the cross-sectional analysis of the 2009 Kids Inpatient Database, AKI events were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Demographics, incident rates, and outcome data were analyzed and reported for the entire AKI cohort as well as AKI subsets. Statistical learning methods were applied to the highly imbalanced dataset to derive AKI-related risk factors. Of 2,644,263 children, 10,322 children developed AKI (3.9/1000 admissions). Although 19% of the AKI cohort was ≤ 1 month old, the highest incidence was seen in children 15-18 years old (6.6/1000 admissions); 49% of the AKI cohort was white, but AKI incidence was higher among African Americans (4.5 versus 3.8/1000 admissions). In-hospital mortality among patients with AKI was 15.3% but higher among children ≤ 1 month old (31.3% versus 10.1%, P<0.001) and children requiring critical care (32.8% versus 9.4%, P<0.001) or dialysis (27.1% versus 14.2%, P<0.001). Shock (odds ratio, 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.95 to 2.36), septicemia (odds ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.32 to 1.43), intubation/mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.16 to 1.25), circulatory disease (odds ratio, 1.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.32 to 1.65), cardiac congenital anomalies (odds ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.13 to 1.23), and extracorporeal support (odds ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 2.04 to 3.26) were associated with AKI. AKI occurs in 3.9/1000 at-risk US pediatric hospitalizations. Mortality is highest among neonates and children requiring critical care or dialysis. Identified risk factors suggest that AKI occurs in association with systemic/multiorgan disease more commonly than primary renal disease.

Pediatric Acute Kidney Injury: Different From Acute Renal Failure, But How And Why?

Acute kidney injury [AKI] refers to a clinical syndrome encompassing various etiologies and occurring in a variety of clinical settings, with manifestations ranging from subtle biochemical and structural changes, to minimal elevation in serum creatinine, to anuric renal failure. Understanding the spectrum of AKI and the importance of the early pre-clinical damage stage has resulted in an improved ability to define and stage pediatric AKI, to understand the AKI-to-CKD transition, and harness novel damage biomarkers to predict AKI and its adverse outcomes. These concepts are expanded upon in this review, with an emphasis on publications from the past three years.

Pediatric AKI leads to CKD—the authors respond

Pediatric AKI leads to CKD—the authors respond