Prediction of incident chronic kidney disease in community-based electronic health records: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global health problem and its early identification would allow timely intervention to reduce complications. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of multivariable prediction models derived and/or validated in community-based electronic health records (EHRs) for the prediction of incident CKD in the community. Methods: Ovid Medline and Ovid Embase were searched for records from 1947 to 31 January 2024. Measures of discrimination were extracted and pooled by Bayesian meta-analysis, with heterogeneity assessed through a 95% prediction interval (PI). Risk of bias was assessed using Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool (PROBAST) and certainty in effect estimates by Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Results: Seven studies met inclusion criteria, describing 12 prediction models, with two eligible for meta-analysis including 2 173 202 patients. The Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium (CKD-PC) (summary c-statistic 0.847; 95% CI 0.827-0.867; 95% PI 0.780-0.905) and SCreening for Occult REnal Disease (SCORED) (summary c-statistic 0.811; 95% CI 0.691-0.926; 95% PI 0.514-0.992) models had good model discrimination performance. Risk of bias was high in 64% of models, and driven by the analysis domain. No model met eligibility for meta-analysis if studies at high risk of bias were excluded, and certainty of effect estimates was 'low'. No clinical utility analyses or clinical impact studies were found for any of the models. Conclusions: Models derived and/or externally validated for prediction of incident CKD in community-based EHRs demonstrate good prediction performance, but assessment of clinical usefulness is limited by high risk of bias, low certainty of evidence and a lack of impact studies.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Drug-Induced Acute Kidney Injury Cases.

Introduction: Drug-induced acute kidney injury (DI-AKI) is a frequent adverse event. The identification of DI-AKI is challenged by competing etiologies, clinical heterogeneity among patients, and a lack of accurate diagnostic tools. Our research aims to describe the clinical characteristics and predictive variables of DI-AKI. Methods: We analyzed data from the Drug-Induced Renal Injury Consortium (DIRECT) study (NCT02159209), an international, multicenter, observational cohort study of enriched clinically adjudicated DI-AKI cases. Cases met the primary inclusion criteria if the patient was exposed to at least 1 nephrotoxic drug for a minimum of 24 hours prior to AKI onset. Cases were clinically adjudicated, and inter-rater reliability (IRR) was measured using Krippendorff's alpha. Variables associated with DI-AKI were identified using L1 regularized multivariable logistic regression. Model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC). Results: A total of 314 AKI cases met the eligibility criteria for this analysis, and 271 (86%) cases were adjudicated as DI-AKI. The majority of the AKI cases were recruited from the United States (68%). The most frequent causal nephrotoxic drugs were vancomycin (48.7%), nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (18.2%), and piperacillin/tazobactam (17.8%). The IRR for DI-AKI adjudication was 0.309. The multivariable model identified age, vascular capacity, hyperglycemia, infections, pyuria, serum creatinine (SCr) trends, and contrast media as significant predictors of DI-AKI with good performance (ROC AUC 0.86). Conclusion: The identification of DI-AKI is challenging even with comprehensive adjudication by experienced nephrologists. Our analysis identified key clinical characteristics and outcomes of DI-AKI compared to other AKI etiologies.

Multimodal image-guided ablation on management of renal cancer in Von-Hippel-Lindau syndrome patients from 2004 to 2021 at a specialist centre: A longitudinal observational study.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the safety, technical feasibility, long-term renal function and oncological outcome of multimodal technologies in image-guided ablation (IGA) for renal cancer in Von-Hippel-Lindau (VHL) patients, and to evaluate factors that may influence the outcome. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a prospective database of VHL patients who underwent IGA at a specialist centre. Patient's demographics, treatment energy, peri-operative outcome and oncological outcomes were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed to determine factors associated with complication and renal function reduction. The overall, 5 and 10-year cancer specific (CS), local recurrence-free (LRF) and metastasis-free (MF) survival rates were presented with Kaplan-Meier Curves. RESULTS: From 2004 to 2021, 17 VHL patients (age 21-68.2) with a mean (±SD) RCC size of 2.06 ± 0.92 cm received IGA. Median (IQR) RCCs per patient was 3 (2-4) over the course of follow up. Fifty-four RCCs were treated using radiofrequency ablation (n = 11), cryoablation (n = 38) and irreversible electroporation (n = 8) in 50 sessions. Primary and overall technical success rate were 94.4% (51/54) and 98% (53/54). One CD-III complication with proximal ureteric injury. Five patients in seven treatment sessions experienced a >25% reduction of eGFR immediately post-IGA. All patients have preservation of renal function at a median follow-up of 79 (51-134) months. The 5 and 10-year CS, LRF and MF survival rates are 100%, 97.8% and 100%. Whilst, the 5 and 10-year overall survival rate are100% and 90%. CONCLUSION: Multimodal IGA of de novo RCC for VHL patients is safe and has provided long term preservation of renal function and robust oncological durability.

Recommendations from the EXTRIP workgroup on extracorporeal treatment for baclofen poisoning.

Baclofen toxicity results from intentional self-poisoning (acute baclofen poisoning) or accumulation of therapeutic dose in the setting of impaired kidney function. Standard care includes baclofen discontinuation, respiratory support and seizure treatment. Use of extracorporeal treatments (ECTRs) is controversial. To clarify this, a comprehensive review of the literature on the effect of ECTRs in baclofen toxicity was performed and recommendations following EXTRIP methods were formulated based on 43 studies (1 comparative cohort, 1 aggregate results cohort, 1 pharmacokinetic modeling, and 40 patient reports or series). Toxicokinetic data were available for 20 patients. Baclofen's dialyzability is limited by a high endogenous clearance and a short half-life in patients with normal kidney function. The workgroup assessed baclofen as "Moderately dialyzable" by intermittent hemodialysis for patients with normal kidney function (quality of evidence C) and "Dialyzable" for patients with impaired kidney function (quality of evidence C). Clinical data were available for 25 patients with acute baclofen poisoning and 46 patients with toxicity from therapeutic baclofen in kidney impairment. No deaths or sequelae were reported. Mortality in historical controls was rare. No benefit of ECTR was identified in patients with acute baclofen poisoning. Indirect evidence suggests a benefit of ECTR in reducing the duration of toxic encephalopathy from therapeutic baclofen in kidney impairment. These potential benefits were balanced against added costs and harms related to the insertion of a catheter, the procedure itself, and the potential of baclofen withdrawal. Thus, the EXTRIP workgroup suggests against performing ECTR in addition to standard care for acute baclofen poisoning and suggests performing ECTR in toxicity from therapeutic baclofen in kidney impairment, especially in the presence of coma requiring mechanical ventilation.

Recognition and management of community-acquired acute kidney injury in low-resource settings in the ISN 0by25 trial: A multi-country feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasingly encountered in community settings and contributes to morbidity, mortality, and increased resource utilization worldwide. In low-resource settings, lack of awareness of and limited access to diagnostic and therapeutic interventions likely influence patient management. We evaluated the feasibility of the use of point-of-care (POC) serum creatinine and urine dipstick testing with an education and training program to optimize the identification and management of AKI in the community in 3 low-resource countries. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Patients presenting to healthcare centers (HCCs) from 1 October 2016 to 29 September 2017 in the cities Cochabamba, Bolivia; Dharan, Nepal; and Blantyre, Malawi, were assessed utilizing a symptom-based risk score to identify patients at moderate to high AKI risk. POC testing for serum creatinine and urine dipstick at enrollment were utilized to classify these patients as having chronic kidney disease (CKD), acute kidney disease (AKD), or no kidney disease (NKD). Patients were followed for a maximum of 6 months with repeat POC testing. AKI development was assessed at 7 days, kidney recovery at 1 month, and progression to CKD and mortality at 3 and 6 months. Following an observation phase to establish baseline data, care providers and physicians in the HCCs were trained with a standardized protocol utilizing POC tests to evaluate and manage patients, guided by physicians in referral hospitals connected via mobile digital technology. We evaluated 3,577 patients, and 2,101 were enrolled: 978 in the observation phase and 1,123 in the intervention phase. Due to the high number of patients attending the centers daily, it was not feasible to screen all patients to assess the actual incidence of AKI. Of enrolled patients, 1,825/2,101 (87%) were adults, 1,117/2,101 (53%) were females, 399/2,101 (19%) were from Bolivia, 813/2,101 (39%) were from Malawi, and 889/2,101 (42%) were from Nepal. The age of enrolled patients ranged from 1 month to 96 years, with a mean of 43 years (SD 21) and a median of 43 years (IQR 27-62). Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (418/2,101; 20%). At enrollment, 197/2,101 (9.4%) had CKD, and 1,199/2,101 (57%) had AKD. AKI developed in 30% within 7 days. By 1 month, 268/978 (27%) patients in the observation phase and 203/1,123 (18%) in the intervention phase were lost to follow-up. In the intervention phase, more patients received fluids (observation 714/978 [73%] versus intervention 874/1,123 [78%]; 95% CI 0.63, 0.94; p = 0.012), hospitalization was reduced (observation 578/978 [59%] versus intervention 548/1,123 [49%]; 95% CI 0.55, 0.79; p < 0.001), and admitted patients with severe AKI did not show a significantly lower mortality during follow-up (observation 27/135 [20%] versus intervention 21/178 [11.8%]; 95% CI 0.98, 3.52; p = 0.057). Of 504 patients with kidney function assessed during the 6-month follow-up, de novo CKD arose in 79/484 (16.3%), with no difference between the observation and intervention phase (95% CI 0.91, 2.47; p = 0.101). Overall mortality was 273/2,101 (13%) and was highest in those who had CKD (24/106; 23%), followed by those with AKD (128/760; 17%), AKI (85/628; 14%), and NKD (36/607; 6%). The main limitation of our study was the inability to determine the actual incidence of kidney dysfunction in the health centers as it was not feasible to screen all the patients due to the high numbers seen daily. CONCLUSIONS: This multicenter, non-randomized feasibility study in low-resource settings demonstrates that it is feasible to implement a comprehensive program utilizing POC testing and protocol-based management to improve the recognition and management of AKI and AKD in high-risk patients in primary care.

Live streaming ward rounds using wearable technology to teach medical students: a pilot study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a loss of clinical clerkship opportunities for medical students. To address this problem while maintaining patient safety, this pilot study explored the feasibility of using a wearable headset to live stream teaching ward rounds to remotely based medical students. Methods: Three live streamed teaching ward rounds were delivered to three groups of medical students (n=53) using the Microsoft HoloLens 2 device and Microsoft Teams software, and results pooled for analysis. Feedback was gathered from students and instructors using the evaluation of technology-enhanced learning materials (ETELM). Patient feedback was gathered using the Communication Assessment Tool to explore any impact on interpersonal communication. Results: The response rate for the ETELM-learner perceptions was 58% (31/53), 100% for the ETELM-instructor perceptions. Students strongly agreed that the overall quality of the teaching session and instructors was excellent. However, 32% experienced issues with audio or video quality and one remote student reported cyber sickness. The statement 'educational activities encouraged engagement with session materials/content' returned the most varied response. Instructors reported technological problems with delivery while using the HoloLens 2 device and environmental noise in the ward was a disruptive factor. Preparation and skilled facilitation were key to delivering a high-quality teaching session. Patients reacted generally favourably to the technology and no negative effects on interpersonal communication were identified. Conclusion: The experience of live streamed ward rounds was well received by patients, medical students and teaching faculty. However, there remain limitations to the routine use of HoloLens 2 technology in our setting including steep learning curves, hardware costs and environmental factors such as noise and WiFi connectivity. Live streamed ward rounds have potential postpandemic implications for the judicious use of resources, and the possibility for few educationally minded clinicians to teach at scale in a patient-friendly manner.

Community Health Care Quality Standards to Prevent Acute Kidney Injury and Its Consequences.

As the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) increases, prevention strategies are needed across the health care continuum, which begins in the community. Recognizing this knowledge gap, the 22nd Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) was tasked to discuss the evidence for quality-of-care measurement and care processes to prevent AKI and its consequences in the community. Using a modified Delphi process, an international and interdisciplinary group provided a framework to identify and monitor patients with AKI in the community. The recommendations propose that risk stratification involve both susceptibilities (eg, chronic kidney disease) and exposures (eg, coronary angiography), with the latter triggering a Kidney Health Assessment. This assessment should include blood pressure, serum creatinine, and urine dipstick, followed by a Kidney Health Response to prevent AKI that encompasses cessation of unnecessary medications, minimization of nephrotoxins, patient education, and ongoing monitoring until the exposure resolves. These recommendations give community health care providers and health systems a starting point for quality improvement initiatives to prevent AKI and its consequences in the community.

Quality Improvement Goals for Acute Kidney Injury.

AKI is a global concern with a high incidence among patients across acute care settings. AKI is associated with significant clinical consequences and increased health care costs. Preventive measures, as well as rapid identification of AKI, have been shown to improve outcomes in small studies. Providing high-quality care for patients with AKI or those at risk of AKI occurs across a continuum that starts at the community level and continues in the emergency department, hospital setting, and after discharge from inpatient care. Improving the quality of care provided to these patients, plausibly mitigating the cost of care and improving short- and long-term outcomes, are goals that have not been universally achieved. Therefore, understanding how the management of AKI may be amenable to quality improvement programs is needed. Recognizing this gap in knowledge, the 22nd Acute Disease Quality Initiative meeting was convened to discuss the evidence, provide recommendations, and highlight future directions for AKI-related quality measures and care processes. Using a modified Delphi process, an international group of experts including physicians, a nurse practitioner, and pharmacists provided a framework for current and future quality improvement projects in the area of AKI. Where possible, best practices in the prevention, identification, and care of the patient with AKI were identified and highlighted. This article provides a summary of the key messages and recommendations of the group, with an aim to equip and encourage health care providers to establish quality care delivery for patients with AKI and to measure key quality indicators.

An Organizational-Level Program of Intervention for AKI: A Pragmatic Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: Variable standards of care may contribute to poor outcomes associated with AKI. We evaluated whether a multifaceted intervention (AKI e-alerts, an AKI care bundle, and an education program) would improve delivery of care and patient outcomes at an organizational level. METHODS: A multicenter, pragmatic, stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial was performed in five UK hospitals, involving patients with AKI aged ≥18 years. The intervention was introduced sequentially across fixed three-month periods according to a randomly determined schedule until all hospitals were exposed. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality, with pre-specified secondary endpoints and a nested evaluation of care process delivery. The nature of the intervention precluded blinding, but data collection and analysis were independent of project delivery teams. RESULTS: We studied 24,059 AKI episodes, finding an overall 30-day mortality of 24.5%, with no difference between control and intervention periods. Hospital length of stay was reduced with the intervention (decreases of 0.7, 1.1, and 1.3 days at the 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7 quantiles, respectively). AKI incidence increased and was mirrored by an increase in the proportion of patients with a coded diagnosis of AKI. Our assessment of process measures in 1048 patients showed improvements in several metrics including AKI recognition, medication optimization, and fluid assessment. CONCLUSIONS: A complex, hospital-wide intervention to reduce harm associated with AKI did not reduce 30-day AKI mortality but did result in reductions in hospital length of stay, accompanied by improvements in in quality of care. An increase in AKI incidence likely reflected improved recognition.

Predicting Risk of Recurrent Acute Kidney Injury: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Although the epidemiology of acute kidney injury (AKI) has been well described, less is known about recurrent AKI (r-AKI). We undertook a systematic review to identify incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of r-AKI. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, Web of Science were searched, from inception to December 2017, for quantitative studies on adults with AKI, where follow-up included -reporting of r-AKI. Two reviewers independently identified studies and assessed study quality. SUMMARY: From 2,824 citations, 10 cohort studies met inclusion criteria (total patients n = 538,667). There were 2 distinct set of studies; 4 studies assessed r-AKI within the same hospital admission (most were intensive care unit [ICU] patients) and 6 studies assessed postdischarge r-AKI. The median percentage of people developing r-AKI within the same hospital admission was 23.4% (IQR 20.3-27.2%) and postdischarge r-AKI was 31.3% (IQR 26.4-33.7%). A higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation score was associated with increased risk of r-AKI within the same hospital admission in ICU patients. Cardiovascular disease and AKI severity were associated with increased risk of postdischarge r-AKI. R-AKI (within same admission and postdischarge) was associated with worse survival. It was not possible to pool results due to methodological differences across studies, such as varying definitions for AKI and r-AKI, varying length of follow-up and effect measures. Key messages: More representative population-based studies with robust assessment of predictors and consensus definition of r-AKI are needed to identify risk factors and develop risk stratification tools to reduce recurrence and improve outcomes. Systematic Review Registration: CRD42017082668.

Point of care creatinine testing in diagnostic imaging: A feasibility study within the outpatient computed tomography setting.

INTRODUCTION: Although the risks associated with iodinated contrast administration are acknowledged to be very low, screening of kidney function prior to administration is still standard practice in many hospitals. This study has evaluated the feasibility of implementing a screening form in conjunction with point of care (PoC) creatinine testing as a method to manage the risks of post contrast acute kidney injury (PC-AKI) within the CT imaging pathway. METHOD: Over an eight-week period 300 adult outpatients attending a UK CT department for contrast-enhanced scans were approached. Participants completed a screening questionnaire for co-morbidities linked to kidney dysfunction and consented to have a PoC and laboratory creatinine tests. Comparison was made against with previous baseline blood tests obtained within the preceding 3 months, as required by the study site. Participants were also invited to attend for follow up PoC and laboratory bloods tests at 48-72 h. RESULTS: 14 patients (4.7%) had a scan-day eGFR below 45mL/min/1.73m2, all identified through screening. The majority of patients (n=281/300; 93.7%) fell in the same risk category based on previous and scan-day blood results. Six PoC test failures were recorded on the scan day. The constant error between the Abbott i-STAT PoC scan-day measurements and the laboratory scan-day measurements was -3.71 (95% CI: -6.41 to -0.50). Five patients had an elevated creatinine (≥25% from baseline) post contrast administration, but no instances of PC-AKI (≥50% from baseline) were identified. CONCLUSION: PoC creatinine testing is a practical method of ensuring renal function and is feasible in the radiology environment.

The future for diagnostic tests of acute kidney injury in critical care: evidence synthesis, care pathway analysis and research prioritisation.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is highly prevalent in hospital inpatient populations, leading to significant mortality and morbidity, reduced quality of life and high short- and long-term health-care costs for the NHS. New diagnostic tests may offer an earlier diagnosis or improved care, but evidence of benefit to patients and of value to the NHS is required before national adoption. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the potential for AKI in vitro diagnostic tests to enhance the NHS care of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and identify an efficient supporting research strategy. DATA SOURCES: We searched ClinicalTrials.gov, The Cochrane Library databases, Embase, Health Management Information Consortium, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, MEDLINE, metaRegister of Current Controlled Trials, PubMed and Web of Science databases from their inception dates until September 2014 (review 1), November 2015 (review 2) and July 2015 (economic model). Details of databases used for each review and coverage dates are listed in the main report. REVIEW METHODS: The AKI-Diagnostics project included horizon scanning, systematic reviewing, meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity, appraisal of analytical validity, care pathway analysis, model-based lifetime economic evaluation from a UK NHS perspective and value of information (VOI) analysis. RESULTS: The horizon-scanning search identified 152 potential tests and biomarkers. Three tests, Nephrocheck® (Astute Medical, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA), NGAL and cystatin C, were subjected to detailed review. The meta-analysis was limited by variable reporting standards, study quality and heterogeneity, but sensitivity was between 0.54 and 0.92 and specificity was between 0.49 and 0.95 depending on the test. A bespoke critical appraisal framework demonstrated that analytical validity was also poorly reported in many instances. In the economic model the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios ranged from £11,476 to £19,324 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), with a probability of cost-effectiveness between 48% and 54% when tests were compared with current standard care. LIMITATIONS: The major limitation in the evidence on tests was the heterogeneity between studies in the definitions of AKI and the timing of testing. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic tests for AKI in the ICU offer the potential to improve patient care and add value to the NHS, but cost-effectiveness remains highly uncertain. Further research should focus on the mechanisms by which a new test might change current care processes in the ICU and the subsequent cost and QALY implications. The VOI analysis suggested that further observational research to better define the prevalence of AKI developing in the ICU would be worthwhile. A formal randomised controlled trial of biomarker use linked to a standardised AKI care pathway is necessary to provide definitive evidence on whether or not adoption of tests by the NHS would be of value. STUDY REGISTRATION: The systematic review within this study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42014013919. FUNDING: The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

Point-of-care creatinine testing for kidney function measurement prior to contrast-enhanced diagnostic imaging: evaluation of the performance of three systems for clinical utility.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) can occur rarely in patients exposed to iodinated contrast and result in contrast-induced AKI (CI-AKI). A key risk factor is the presence of preexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD); therefore, it is important to assess patient risk and obtain kidney function measurement prior to administration. Point-of-care (PoC) testing provides an alternative strategy but there remains uncertainty, with respect to diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility. METHODS: A device study compared three PoC analysers (Nova StatSensor, Abbott i-STAT and Radiometer ABL800 FLEX) with a reference laboratory standard (Roche Cobas 8000 series, enzymatic creatinine). Three hundred adult patients attending a UK hospital phlebotomy department were recruited to have additional blood samples for analysis on the PoC devices. RESULTS: The ABL800 FLEX had the strongest concordance with laboratory measured serum creatinine (mean bias=-0.86, 95% limits of agreement=-9.6 to 7.9) followed by the i-STAT (average bias=3.88, 95% limits of agreement=-8.8 to 16.6) and StatSensor (average bias=3.56, 95% limits of agreement=-27.7 to 34.8). In risk classification, the ABL800 FLEX and i-STAT identified all patients with an eGFR≤30, whereas the StatSensor resulted in a small number of missed high-risk cases (n=4/13) and also operated outside of the established performance goals. CONCLUSIONS: The screening of patients at risk of CI-AKI may be feasible with PoC technology. However, in this study, it was identified that the analyser concordance with the laboratory reference varies. It is proposed that further research exploring PoC implementation in imaging department pathways is needed.

Utility of electronic AKI alerts in intensive care: A national multicentre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Electronic AKI alerts highlight changes in serum creatinine compared to the patient's own baseline. Our aim was to identify all AKI alerts and describe the relationship between electronic AKI alerts and outcome for AKI treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in a national multicentre cohort. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was undertaken between November 2013 and April 2016, collecting data on electronic AKI alerts issued. RESULTS: 10% of 47,090 incident AKI alerts were associated with ICU admission. 90-day mortality was 38.2%. Within the ICU cohort 48.8% alerted in ICU. 51.2% were transferred to ICU within 7days of the alert, of which 37.8% alerted in a hospital setting (HA-AKI) and 62.2% in a community setting (CA-AKI). Mortality was higher in patients transferred to ICU following the alert compared to those who had an incident alert on the ICU (p<0.001), and was higher in HA-AKI (45.3%) compared to CA-AKI (39.5%) (35.0%, p=0.01). In the surviving patients, the proportion of patient recovering renal function following, was significantly higher in HA-AKI alerting (84.2%, p=0.004) and CA-AKI alerting patients (87.6%, p<0.001) compared to patients alerting on the ICU (78.3%). CONCLUSION: The study provides a nationwide characterisation of AKI in ICU highlighting the high incidence and its impact on patient outcome. The data also suggests that within the cohort of AKI patients treated in the ICU there are significant differences in the presentation and outcome between those patients that require transfer to the ICU after AKI is identified and those who develop AKI following ICU admission. Moreover, the study demonstrates that using AKI e-alerts provides a centralised resource which does not rely on clinical diagnosis of AKI or coding, resulting in a robust data set which can be used to define the incidence and outcome of AKI in the ICU setting.

Outcomes in patients with acute kidney injury reviewed by Critical Care Outreach: What is the role of the National Early Warning Score?

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated outcomes in critically unwell acute kidney injury patients and the role of the National Early Warning Score and other factors in identifying patients who experience negative outcomes. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study investigating 64 patients seen by Critical Care Outreach between November 2014 and February 2015. Mortality at one year was analysed using multivariate regression; all other statistical tests were non-parametric. RESULTS: Forty-four per cent of patients required escalation to higher level care, 56% failed to survive beyond one year and 30% of those who did survive had a deterioration in renal function. Previous acute kidney injury significantly predicted mortality but the National Early Warning Score did not. A subgroup of patients developed Stage 3 acute kidney injury before a rise in National Early Warning Score. CONCLUSIONS: Acute kidney injury in the Critical Care Outreach patient population is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Previous acute kidney injury and acute kidney injury stage may be superior to the National Early Warning Score at identifying patients in need of Critical Care Outreach review.

Preventing Acute Kidney Injury: a qualitative study exploring 'sick day rules' implementation in primary care.

BACKGROUND: In response to growing demand for urgent care services there is a need to implement more effective strategies in primary care to support patients with complex care needs. Improving primary care management of kidney health through the implementation of 'sick day rules' (i.e. temporary cessation of medicines) to prevent Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) has the potential to address a major patient safety issue and reduce unplanned hospital admissions. The aim of this study is to examine processes that may enable or constrain the implementation of 'sick day rules' for AKI prevention into routine care delivery in primary care. METHODS: Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease and purposefully sampled, general practitioners, practice nurses and community pharmacists who either had, or had not, implemented a 'sick day rule'. Normalisation Process Theory was used as a framework for data collection and analysis. RESULTS: Participants tended to express initial enthusiasm for sick day rules to prevent AKI, which fitted with the delivery of comprehensive care. However, interest tended to diminish with consideration of factors influencing their implementation. These included engagement within and across services; consistency of clinical message; and resources available for implementation. Participants identified that supporting patients with multiple conditions, particularly with chronic heart failure, made tailoring initiatives complex. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of AKI initiatives into routine practice requires appropriate resourcing as well as training support for both patients and clinicians tailored at a local level to support system redesign.