A Comparison of AKIN, KDIGO, and RIFLE Definitions to Diagnose Acute Kidney Injury and Predict the Outcomes after Cardiac Surgery in a South Asian Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery is associated with an increased mortality and morbidity. Different definitions for AKI have been used such as Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN), Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO), or risk, injury, failure, loss, end-stage kidney disease (RIFLE). Each of these definitions has their own benefits and limitations for predicting the degree of AKI and adverse outcomes following cardiac surgery. This study was aimed to compare the three AKI definitions to diagnose AKI and their predictive ability for mortality and morbidity after isolated coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) in a South Asian cohort. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A single-center retrospective review was conducted on 1,508 patients having undergone isolated CABG surgery from January 2015 to January 2019. AKI was assessed on three definitions, and comparative receiver operating characteristics curves were built against the outcomes to assess discriminative power of each. RESULTS: Mean age of participants was 59.43 (±1.12) years, predominantly males (82.6%). Patients with AKI were elder, more likely to be diabetic and hypertensive. AKI by any definition occurred in 58.7% (885/1,508) patients. Frequency of AKI was 508 (33.7%), 517 (34.4%), and 871 (57.8%) on AKIN, KDIGO, and RIFLE criteria, respectively. The proportion of patients with RIFLE-risk 619 (41%) was greater compared with AKIN stage 1 (342 [22.7%]) and KDIGO stage 1 (330 [21.9%]), while for stages 2 and 3 the proportions were comparable across the three systems. Area under the curve (AUC) for 30-day mortality for AKIN was (0.786, [95% CI: 0.764-0.806]), KDIGO: (0.796, [95% CI: 0.775-0.816]) and for RIFLE (0.844, [95% CI: 0.825-0.862]). AUC for overall morbidity was in undesirable ranges (i.e., >0.5-≤0.7) for all three definitions. CONCLUSION: In a South Asian cohort, performance of AKIN and KDIGO criteria was comparable to diagnose AKI, while RIFLE definition, though overestimated the incidence of AKI particularly stage 1, and had an excellent discriminatory power to predict mortality compared to other two definitions.

Acute kidney disease is common and associated with poor outcomes in patients with cirrhosis and acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Acute kidney disease (AKD) is the persistence of acute kidney injury (AKI) for up to 3 months, which is proposed to be the time-window where critical interventions can be initiated to alter downstream outcomes of AKI. In cirrhosis, AKD and its impact on outcomes have been scantly investigated. We aimed to define the incidence and outcomes associated with AKD in a nationwide US cohort of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and AKI. METHODS: Hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and AKI in the Cerner-Health-Facts database from 1/2009-09/2017 (n = 6,250) were assessed for AKD and were followed-up for 180 days. AKI and AKD were defined based on KDIGO and ADQI AKD and renal recovery consensus criteria, respectively. The primary outcome measure was mortality, and the secondary outcome measure was de novo chronic kidney disease (CKD). Competing-risk multivariable models were used to determine the independent association of AKD with primary and secondary outcomes. RESULTS: AKD developed in 32% of our cohort. On multivariable competing-risk analysis adjusting for significant confounders, patients with AKD had higher risk of mortality at 90 (subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR] 1.37; 95% CI 1.14-1.66; p = 0.001) and 180 (sHR 1.37; 95% CI 1.14-1.64; p = 0.001) days. The incidence of de novo CKD was 37.5%: patients with AKD had higher rates of de novo CKD (64.0%) compared to patients without AKD (30.7%; p <0.001). After adjusting for confounders, AKD was independently associated with de novo CKD (sHR 2.52; 95% CI 2.01-3.15; p <0.001) on multivariable competing-risk analysis. CONCLUSIONS: AKD develops in 1 in 3 hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and AKI and it is associated with worse survival and de novo CKD. Interventions that target AKD may improve outcomes of patients with cirrhosis and AKI. LAY SUMMARY: In a nationwide US cohort of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and acute kidney injury, acute kidney disease developed in 1 in 3 patients and was associated with worse survival and chronic kidney disease. Interventions that target acute kidney disease may improve outcomes of patients with cirrhosis and acute kidney injury.

Bovine Lactoferrin to Prevent Neonatal Infections in Low-Birth-Weight Newborns in Pakistan: Protocol for a Three-Arm Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a common and severe complication in premature neonates, particularly those born with low birth weights (<2500 g). Neonatal sepsis is steadily emerging as a leading cause of neonatal mortality in Pakistan. Lactoferrin is a natural product with broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties and glycoprotein that is actively involved in innate immune host responses. Clinical trials have revealed its protective effect on sepsis, but lactoferrin dosage, duration, and role in the prevention of sepsis are still uncertain. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to establish the efficacy of bovine lactoferrin in the prevention of late-onset sepsis and to determine the optimal dose and method of administering bovine lactoferrin that may contribute to improvement in overall survival of low birth weight infants. METHODS: We will implement the study in 2 phases at the Aga Khan University Hospital. The first phase, which we have completed, was formative research. This phase mainly focused on a qualitative exploration of perceptions about feeding and caring practices of low birth weight newborns and a trial of improved practices for the preparation and administration of bovine lactoferrin to newborns. The second phase is a 3-arm double-blind randomized controlled trial. In this phase, we randomly allocated 2 different daily oral prophylactic doses of bovine lactoferrin (150 mg or 300 mg) and placebo to 300 low-birth weight neonates starting within the first 72 hours of birth and continuing for the first 28 days of life. RESULTS: The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of Aga Khan University on August 16, 2017. Data collection began in April 2018 and was completed in September 2020. Data analyses are yet to be completed. We expect the results to be published in peer-reviewed journals by autumn of 2021. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention, if effective, has the potential to be translated into a safe, affordable, and widely utilized treatment to prevent sepsis and, subsequently, may improve the survival outcomes of low birth weight neonates in Pakistan and other low- and middle-income countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03431558; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03431558. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/23994.