Early experience of using regional citrate anticoagulation for continuous renal replacement therapy in critically ill patients in a resource-limited setting.

AIM: Despite the superiority of regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) in continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), its application is limited in resource-limited settings. We aim to explore the cost and safety of RCA for CRRT in critically ill patients, compared to usual care. METHODS: This prospective observational study included patients requiring CRRT in a tertiary intensive care unit (ICU) from February 2022 to January 2023. They were classified to either the RCA or usual care groups based on the anticoagulation technique chosen by the treating physician, considering contraindications. The CRRT prescription follows the institutional protocol. All relevant data were obtained from the ICU CRRT-RCA charts and electronic medical records. A cost analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 54 patients (27 per group) were included, with no demographic differences. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and lactate levels were significantly higher in the usual care group. The number of filters used were comparable (p = .108). The median filter duration in the RCA group was numerically longer (35.00 [15.50-56.00] vs. 23.00 [17.00-29.00] h), but not statistically significant (p = .253). The duration of mechanical ventilation, vasopressor requirement, and mortality were similar, but the RCA group had a significantly longer ICU stay. The rate of adverse events was similar, with four severe metabolic alkalosis cases in the RCA group. The RCA group had higher total cost per patient per day (USD 611 vs. 408; p = .013). CONCLUSION: In this resource-limited setting, RCA for CRRT appeared safe and had clinically longer filter lifespan compared with usual care, albeit the increased cost.

Cost-effectiveness of the TherMax blood warmer during continuous renal replacement therapy.

Hypothermia is a common adverse event during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), affecting multiple organ systems and increasing risk of poor health outcomes among patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) undergoing CRRT. TheraMax blood warmers are the next generation of extracorporeal blood warmers which reduce risk of hypothermia during CRRT. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the potential health economic impacts of avoiding CRRT-induced hypothermia by using the novel TherMax blood warming device. This study compares health care costs associated with use of the new TherMax blood warmer unit integrated with the PrisMax system compared to CRRT with a standalone blood warming device to avoid hypothermia in continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). An economic model was developed in which relevant health states for each intervention were normothermia, hypothermia, discharge, and death. Clinical inputs and costs were obtained from a combination of retrospective chart review and publicly available summary estimates. The proportion of AKI patients treated with CRRT who became hypothermic (<36°C) during CRRT treatment was 34.5% in the TherMax group compared to 71.9% in the 'standalone warmer' group. Given the 78.7-year average life expectancy in the US and the assumed average patient age at discharge/death of 65.4 years, the total life-years gained by avoiding mortality related to hypothermia was 9.0 in the TherMax group compared to 8.0 in the 'standalone warmer' group. Cost per life-year gained was $8,615 in the TherMax group versus $10,115 in the 'standalone warmer' group for a difference of -$1,501 favoring TherMax. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was negative, indicating superior cost-effectiveness for TherMax versus 'standalone warmer'. The TherMax blood warming device used with the PrisMax system is associated with lower risk of hypothermia, which our model indicates leads to lower costs, lower risk of mortality due to hypothermia, and superior cost-effectiveness.

Cost-effectiveness and value of information analysis of NephroCheck and NGAL tests compared to standard care for the diagnosis of acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND: Early and accurate acute kidney injury (AKI) detection may improve patient outcomes and reduce health service costs. This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy and cost-effectiveness of NephroCheck and NGAL (urine and plasma) biomarker tests used alongside standard care, compared with standard care to detect AKI in hospitalised UK adults. METHODS: A 90-day decision tree and lifetime Markov cohort model predicted costs, quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) from a UK NHS perspective. Test accuracy was informed by a meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy studies. Clinical trial and observational data informed the link between AKI and health outcomes, health state probabilities, costs and utilities. Value of information (VOI) analysis informed future research priorities. RESULTS: Under base case assumptions, the biomarker tests were not cost-effective with ICERs of £105,965 (NephroCheck), £539,041 (NGAL urine BioPorto), £633,846 (NGAL plasma BioPorto) and £725,061 (NGAL urine ARCHITECT) per QALY gained compared to standard care. Results were uncertain, due to limited trial data, with probabilities of cost-effectiveness at £20,000 per QALY ranging from 0 to 99% and 0 to 56% for NephroCheck and NGAL tests respectively. The expected value of perfect information (EVPI) was £66 M, which demonstrated that additional research to resolve decision uncertainty is worthwhile. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence is inadequate to support the cost-effectiveness of general use of biomarker tests. Future research evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of test guided implementation of protective care bundles is necessary. Improving the evidence base around the impact of tests on AKI staging, and of AKI staging on clinical outcomes would have the greatest impact on reducing decision uncertainty.

Editor's Choice - A Comparison of Computed Tomography Angiography and Colour Duplex Ultrasound Surveillance Post Infrarenal Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair: Financial Implications and Impact of Different International Surveillance Guidelines.

OBJECTIVE: Use of colour duplex ultrasound (CDUS) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) for infrarenal endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) surveillance differs in internationally published guidelines. This study aimed firstly to compare CDUS detection of significant sac abnormalities with CTA. Secondly, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to compare financial estimates of the, predominantly CDUS based, local and Society of Vascular Surgery (SVS) protocols, the risk stratified European Society of Vascular Surgery (ESVS) protocol, and the CTA based National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) protocol. METHODS: Agreement between CDUS and CTA was assessed for detection of significant sac abnormalities. Surveillance protocols were extrapolated from published guidelines and applied to infrarenal EVAR patients active on local surveillance at a large, single centre. Surveillance intensity was dependent on presence of endoleak and subsequent risk of treatment failure in accordance with surveillance recommendations. Estimates for each surveillance protocol were inclusive of a range of published incidences of endoleak, contrast associated acute kidney injury (AKI), and excess hospital bed days, and estimated for a hypothetical five year surveillance period. RESULTS: The kappa coefficient between CDUS and CTA for detecting sac abnormalities was 0.68. Maximum five year surveillance cost estimates for the 289 active EVAR patients were £272 359 for SVS, £230 708 for ESVS, £643 802 for NICE, and £266 777 for local protocols, or £1 270, £1 076, £3 003, and £1 244 per patient. Differences in endoleak incidence accounted for a 1.1 to 1.4 fold increase in costs. AKI incidence accounted for a 3.3 to 6.2 fold increase in costs. CONCLUSION: A combined CTA and CDUS EVAR surveillance protocol, with CTA reserved for early seal assessment and confirmatory purposes, provides an economical approach without compromising detection of sac abnormalities. AKI, as opposed to direct imaging costs, accounted for the largest differences in surveillance cost estimates.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Adults Hospitalized with Dengue Viral Infection and Acute Kidney Injury in Southern Thailand.

Dengue viral infection (DVI) among adult patients is increasingly problematic in tropical and subtropical regions. Acute kidney injury (AKI) after DVI poses substantial clinical outcomes and economic impact. This prospective study focused on the characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of adult patients with AKI due to DVI hospitalized in nine network hospitals within Southern Thailand from January 2017 to December 2019. Among 120 adult patients hospitalized due to DVI without preexisting kidney diseases, 17 patients (14%) presented with AKI. During hospitalization, four patients required acute hemodialysis. The predominant characteristic of urinalysis was proteinuria, followed by pyuria and hematuria with remarkable dysmorphic red blood cells. Complications included acidosis, followed by hyperkalemia and volume overload. Most complications and deterioration of renal function occurred within the first week, but renal function recovered in second week of hospitalization. Stability of renal function was regained within the fourth week to the third month. However, four AKI patients recovered, with estimated glomerular filtration rate >60 mL/min/1.73 m2 within 3 months. Forty-day mortality rate and resource utilization, including hospital cost and length of hospitalization, among those with AKI were significantly higher than those without AKI. Thirty-day and in-hospital mortality rate among those with AKI was also higher than those without AKI. High APACHE II scores due to bleeding disorder and current use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent were significantly associated with the emergence of AKI. Acute kidney injury among adult patients hospitalized due to DVI should be a concern and should be monitored for prompt treatment and follow-up.

Impact of diabetes mellitus on short-term prognosis, length of stay, and costs in patients with acute kidney injury: A nationwide survey in China.

BACKGROUND: International data suggest that people with diabetes mellitus (DM) are at increased risk for worse acute kidney injury (AKI) outcomes; however, the data in China are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the association of DM with short-term prognosis, length of stay, and expenditure in patients with AKI. METHODS: This study was based on the 2013 nationwide survey in China. According to the 2012 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) and expanded criteria of AKI, 7604 patients with AKI were identified, and 1404 and 6200 patients were with and without DM, respectively. Clinical characteristics, outcomes, length of stay, and costs of these patients were compared. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the association of DM with mortality, failed renal recovery, length of stay, and costs. RESULTS: Patients with AKI and DM were older, had higher male preponderance (61.9%), presented with more comorbidities, and had higher serum creatinine levels compared with those without DM. An apparent increase in all-cause in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and costs was found in patients with DM. DM was not independently associated with failed renal recovery (adjusted OR (95%CI): 1.08 (0.94-1.25)) and in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR (95%): 1.16 (0.95-1.41)) in multivariate models. However, the diabetic status was positively associated with the length of stay (ß = 0.06, p<0.05) and hospital expenditure (ß = 0.10, p<0.01) in hospital after adjusting for possible confounders. CONCLUSION: In hospitalized AKI patients, DM (vs. no DM) is independently associated with longer length of stay and greater costs, but is not associated with an increased risk for failed renal recovery and in-hospital mortality.

A systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses across the acute kidney injury landscape.

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex and common condition associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and costs. Evidence from cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) have targeted various aspects of AKI including detection with biomarkers, treatment with renal replacement therapy, and prevention when using contrast media. However, there has not been a systematic review of these studies across the entirety of AKI.Areas covered: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library were used to identify CEA studies that involved AKI from 2004 onwards. These studies compared AKI treatment through renal replacement therapies (n = 6), prevention of contrast-induced-AKI (CI-AKI) using different media (n = 3), and diagnosis with novel biomarkers (n = 2). Treatment strategies for AKI focused on continuous versus intermittent renal replacement therapy. While there was no consensus, the majority of studies favored the continuous form. For contrast media, both studies found iodixanol to be cost-effective compared to iohexol for preventing CI-AKI. Additionally, novel biomarkers showed potential to be cost-effective in risk assessment and detection of AKI.Expert opinion: Consistent criteria such as a lifetime time horizon would allow for better model comparisons. Further research on clinical parameters to capture transition probabilities between stages within AKI and progression to downstream kidney disease is needed.

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

BACKGROUND: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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 (ß = 2064, P < 0.01) and LOS (ß = 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. CONCLUSIONS: 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. IMPACT: 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.

Costs and consequences of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery: A cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common after cardiac surgery. We quantified the mortality and costs of varying degrees of AKI using a population-based cohort in Alberta, Canada. METHODS: A cohort of patients undergoing cardiac surgery from 2004 to 2009 was assembled from linked Alberta administrative databases. AKI was classified by Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes stages of severity. Our outcomes were in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and costs; among survivors, we also examined mortality and costs at 365 days. Estimates were adjusted for demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and other covariates. RESULTS: Ten thousand one hundred seventy participants were included, of whom 9771 patients were discharged to community. Overall in-hospital mortality, costs, and length of stay were 4%, 7 days, and Can $34,000, respectively. Postcardiac surgery, AKI occurred in 25%. Compared with those without AKI, AKI was independently associated with increased in-hospital mortality across severity categories, with the highest risk (adjusted odds ratio, 37.1; 95% confidence interval, 26.3-52.1; P < .001) in patients who required acute dialysis. AKI severity was associated with increased hospital days and costs, with costs ranging from 1.21 for stage 1 AKI (95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.23) to 2.74 for acute dialysis (95% confidence interval, 2.49-3.00) (P < .001) times higher than in patients without AKI, after covariate adjustment. Postdischarge to 365 days, patients with AKI continued to experience increased costs up to 1.35-fold, and patients who required dialysis acutely continued to experience a 2.86-fold increased mortality. CONCLUSIONS: AKI remains an important indicator of mortality and health care costs postcardiac surgery.

Emergent initiation of dialysis is related to an increase in both mortality and medical costs.

The number of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has been increasing, with dialysis treatment being a serious economic problem. To date, no report in Japan considered medical costs spent at the initiation of dialysis treatment, although some reports in other countries described high medical costs in the first year. This study focused on patient status at the time of initiation of dialysis and examined how it affects prognosis and the medical costs. As a result, all patients dying within 4 months experienced emergent dialysis initiation. Emergent dialysis initiation and high medical costs were risk factors for death within 2 years. High C-reactive protein levels and emergent dialysis initiation were associated with increasing medical costs. Acute kidney injury (AKI) contributed most to emergent dialysis initiation followed by stroke, diabetes, heart failure, and short-term care by nephrologists. Therefore, emergent dialysis initiation was a contributing factor to both death and increasing medical costs. To avoid the requirement for emergent dialysis initiation, patients with ESRD should be referred to nephrologists earlier. Furthermore, ESRD patients with clinical histories of AKI, stroke, diabetes, or heart failure should be observed carefully and provided pre-planned initiation of dialysis.

Association between regional economic status and renal recovery of dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury among critically ill patients.

The association between regional economic status and the probability of renal recovery among patients with dialysis-requiring AKI (AKI-D) is unknown. The nationwide prospective multicenter study enrolled critically ill adult patients with AKI-D in four sampled months (October 2014, along with January, April, and July 2015) in Taiwan. The regional economic status was defined by annual disposable income per capita (ADIPC) of the cities the hospitals located. Among the 1,322 enrolled patients (67.1 ± 15.5 years, 36.2% female), 833 patients (63.1%) died, and 306 (23.1%) experienced renal recovery within 90 days following discharge. We categorized all patients into high (n = 992) and low economic status groups (n = 330) by the best cut-point of ADIPC determined by the generalized additive model plot. By using the Fine and Gray competing risk regression model with mortality as a competing risk factor, we found that the independent association between regional economic status and renal recovery persisted from model 1 (no adjustment), model 2 (adjustment to basic variables), to model 3 (adjustment to basic and clinical variables; subdistribution hazard ratio, 1.422; 95% confidence interval, 1.022-1.977; p = 0.037). In conclusion, high regional economic status was an independent factor for renal recovery among critically ill patients with AKI-D.

Early versus standard renal replacement therapy after left ventricular assist device implantation.

OBJECTIVES: Renal function may improve after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implant, however, some patients develop postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). Randomized trials showed benefit for early renal replacement therapy (RRT) in critically ill patients with AKI, but this practice has not been studied in LVAD patients. METHODS: We performed a single-center, retrospective cohort study of all adults (>18 years) who underwent LVAD placement from 1/2010 to 12/2018. We collected preoperative, hemodynamic, echocardiographic, intraoperative, and postoperative data. AKI was defined according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes definition. Early (E) RRT was considered treatment at AKI stage II or below. Standard (S) RRT was considered treatment at AKI stage III. Outcomes and Kaplan-Meier analysis were compared between groups. RESULTS: A total of 184 patients were included (mean age 56.10 years, 81% males, 30.4% African-American race). A total of 71 (38.6%) developed AKI and 17 (9.24%) needed RRT (11 E vs 6 S). A total of 11 remained hemodialysis-dependent at discharge (5 [45.5%] in E vs 6 [100%] in S, P = .043). There was a trend toward shorter intensive care unit stay and ventilation time in E group, and overall hospital stay was significantly less in the E group (48.18 ± 25.95 vs 94.00 ± 53.07 days, P = .028). Thirty-day mortality was similar between groups (E 18% vs S 16%, P = .9), but there was a trend toward improved overall survival in the E group. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to examine early initiation of RRT after LVAD implant. Early RRT was associated with shorter hospital stay, lower need for permanent RRT, and a trend toward improved survival. This practice may provide significant cost savings and should be examined further.

Contemporary trend of acute kidney injury incidence and incremental costs among US patients undergoing percutaneous coronary procedures.

OBJECTIVES: To assess national trends of acute kidney injury (AKI) incidence, incremental costs, risk factors, and readmissions among patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during 2012-2017. BACKGROUND: AKI remains a serious complication for patients undergoing CAG/PCI. Evidence is lacking in contemporary AKI trends and its impact on hospital resource utilization. METHODS: Patients who underwent CAG/PCI procedures in 749 hospitals were identified from Premier Healthcare Database. AKI was defined by ICD-9/10 diagnosis codes (584.9/N17.9, 583.89/N14.1, 583.9/N05.9, E947.8/T50.8X5) during 7 days post index procedure. Multivariable regression models were used to adjust for confounders. RESULTS: Among 2,763,681 patients, AKI incidence increased from 6.0 to 8.4% or 14% per year in overall patients; from 18.0 to 28.4% in those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and from 2.4 to 4.2% in those without CKD (all p < .001). Significant risk factors for AKI included older age, being uninsured, inpatient procedures, CKD, anemia, and diabetes (all p < .001). AKI was associated with higher 30-day in-hospital mortality (ORadjusted = 2.55; 95% CI: 2.40, 2.70) and readmission risk (ORadjusted = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.50, 1.55). The AKI-related incremental cost during index visit and 30-day readmissions were estimated to be $8,416 and $580 per inpatient procedure and $927 and $6,145 per outpatient procedure. Overall excess healthcare burden associated with AKI was $1.67 billion. CONCLUSIONS: AKI incidence increased significantly in this large, multifacility sample of patients undergoing CAG/PCI procedures and was associated with substantial increase in hospital costs, readmissions, and mortality. Efforts to reduce AKI risk in US healthcare system are warranted.

Incremental Cost of Acute Kidney Injury after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the United States.

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and severe complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Despite its substantial burden, contemporary data on the incremental costs of AKI are lacking. We designed this large, nationally representative study to examine: (1) the independent, incremental costs associated with AKI after PCI and (2) to identify the departmental components of cost contributing to the incremental costs associated with AKI. In this observational cross-sectional study from the Premier database, we analyzed 1,443,297 PCI patients at 518 US hospitals from 1/2006 to 12/2015. Incremental cost of AKI from a hospital perspective obtained by a microcosting approach, was estimated using mixed-effects, multivariable linear regression with hospitals as random effects. Costs were inflation-corrected to 2016 US$. AKI occurred in 82,683 (5.73%) of the PCI patients. Those with AKI had higher hospitalization cost than those without ($38,869, SD 42,583 vs $17,167 SD 13,994, p <0.001). After adjustment, the incremental cost associated with an AKI was $9,448 (95% confidence interval $9,338 to $9,558, p <0.001). AKI was also independently associated with an incremental length of stay of 3.6 days (p <0.001). Room and board costs were the largest driver of AKI costs ($4,841). Extrapolated to the United States, our findings imply an annual AKI cost burden of 411.3 million US$. In conclusion, in this national study of PCI patients, AKI was common and independently associated with ∼$10,000 incremental costs, implying a substantial burden of AKI costs in US hospitals. Successful efforts to prevent AKI in patients who underwent PCI could result in meaningful cost savings.

The Cost-Effectiveness of Continuous Versus Intermittent Renal Replacement Therapies in Acute Kidney Injury: Perspective of the Social Services for the Elderly in Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a public health problem that affects millions of hospitalized patients worldwide. In Argentina, evidence suggests that its incidence has risen in recent years. When severe, AKI may require a renal replacement therapy (RRT) where continuous RRT (CRRT) and intermittent RRT (IRRT) are plausible options for patients in the intensive care unit. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost utility of CRRT versus IRRT for the National Institute of Social Services for Retirees and Pensioners, the largest social security health insurance for elders in Argentina. METHODS: This was a model-based cost-utility analysis. Long-term costs and health outcomes were estimated for a hypothetical cohort with a Markov model. Parameters used were obtained from published literature and validated with local experts. Local costs were estimated and expressed in $AR of 2016. Several sensitivity analyses were run to analyze the impact of uncertainty on results. RESULTS: Continuous RRT dominated IRRT by cumulating over the model more quality-adjusted life years and less costs. Total discounted quality-adjusted life years for both cohorts were 1049 and 1034, respectively, and total costs were $95 362 and $103 871. Cost-effectiveness (CE) results reflect these differences in favor of CRRT with a deterministic cost-saving incremental CE ratio and a probability of CRRT being CE of 65.4%, considering a CE threshold of 1 gross domestic product per capita. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous RRT for patients with AKI eligible for CRRT or IRRT would probably be a cost-effective intervention for the National Institute of Social Services for Retirees and Pensioners' view. Nevertheless, there is considerable uncertainty around results, mainly due to the lack of adequate controlled studies and local data on the prognosis of these patients in Argentina.

Review of the Literature on the Costs Associated With Acute Kidney Injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) develops in 8% to 16% of hospital admissions. These patients exhibit a 4- to 10-fold increase in mortality and prolonged hospital stays. There is a dearth of information on the economics of AKI, especially in critically ill patients whose health-care costs are already high. It is important that pharmacists understand the economic impact of AKI to optimally prevent and treat AKI occurrence, thus reducing total hospital costs. Authors used MEDLINE, PubMed, and Google Scholar searches up to April 2019. Inpatient AKI affects an estimated 498 000 patients in the United States with its annual cost from $4.7 to $24.0 billion. Average patient costs of AKI in the intensive care unit are generally double than those of non-AKI patients. High AKI severity portends a higher cost. Total hospital costs in patients with AKI ranged from $29 700 in cardiac surgery patients to $80 400 in cardiogenic shock. Incremental increases of cost range from $9400 in major surgery patients and up to $81 000 in nonsurviving dialysis patients. The enormity of the clinical and economic impact of AKI should be a call to action by pharmacists to expeditiously select patient-specific therapies to prevent and treat AKI, and thus reduce its economic burden on an already fragile health-care system.

Outpatient Dialysis for Acute Kidney Injury: Progress and Pitfalls.

Dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury (AKI) has increased markedly in the United States. At the same time, mortality rates have recently improved. As such, increasing numbers of patients with AKI are surviving to hospital discharge, including up to 30% who will continue to require outpatient dialysis. In recent years, policy changes have significantly affected the care of this high-risk population. Beginning in 2017, new legislation reversed a previous Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services policy that prohibited dialysis for AKI at end-stage renal disease (ESRD) facilities. This has improved dialysis options for patients, but the impact on patient outcomes remains uncertain. Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of evidence basis to guide management of this vulnerable patient population. Moving forward, additional data reporting and analyses will be required, analogous to how the US Renal Data System has helped inform ESRD care. As the dialysis setting for patients with AKI shifts to the ESRD setting, it is incumbent on the nephrology community to identify best practices to promote kidney recovery, recognizing that these practices will differ from standard ESRD protocols.

Acute kidney injury is associated with higher mortality and healthcare costs in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: AKI is known to be associated with increased risk of mortality, however limited information is available on how AKI impacts healthcare costs and resource utilization in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. Previous studies have had variable definitions of AKI, resulting in inconsistent reporting of the true impact of AKI in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS: Data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) which contains data from 44 states and 4378 hospitals, accounting for over 7 million discharges were analyzed. The inclusion data were all discharges in the 2012 NIS dataset with a discharge diagnosis of cirrhosis. RESULTS: A total of 32,605 patients were included in the analysis, incidence of AKI was 12.12% in patients with cirrhosis. Crude mortality was much higher for patients with cirrhosis and AKI (14.9% vs. 1.8%, OR 9.42, p<0.001) than for patients without AKI. In addition, mean LOS was longer (8.5 vs. 4.3 days, p<0.001) and median total hospital charges were higher for patients with AKI ($43,939 vs. $22,270, p<0.001). In multivariate logistic regression, controlling for covariates and mortality risk score, sepsis, ascites and SBP were predictors of AKI. CONCLUSIONS: AKI is relatively common in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. Presence of AKI results in significantly higher inpatient mortality as well as LOS and resource utilization. Median hospitalization cost was twice as high in AKI patients. Early identification of patients at high risk for AKI should be implemented to reduce mortality and contain costs. Prognosis could be enhanced by utilizing biomarkers which could rapidly detect AKI.

Treatment-Related Complications of Systemic Therapy and Radiotherapy.

IMPORTANCE: Systemic therapy and radiotherapy can be associated with acute complications that may require emergent care. However, there are limited data characterizing complications and the financial burden of cancer therapy that are treated in emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the incidence of treatment-related complications of systemic therapy or radiotherapy, examine factors associated with inpatient admission, and investigate the overall financial burden. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample was performed. Between January 2006 and December 2015, there was a weighted total of 1.3 billion ED visits; of these, 1.5 million were related to a complication of systemic therapy or radiotherapy for cancer. Data analysis was conducted from February 22 to December 23, 2018. External cause of injury codes, Clinical Classifications Software, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), Clinical Modification codes were used to identify patients with complications of systemic therapy or radiotherapy. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Patterns in treatment-related complications, patient- and hospital-related factors associated with inpatient admission, and median and total charges for treatment-related complications were the main outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 1.5 million ED visits included in the analysis, 53.2% of patients were female and mean age was 63.3 years. Treatment-related ED visits increased by a rate of 10.8% per year compared with 2.0% for overall ED visits. Among ED visits, 90.9% resulted in inpatient admission to the hospital and 4.9% resulted in death during hospitalization. Neutropenia (136 167 [8.9%]), sepsis (128 171 [8.4%]), and anemia (117 557 [7.7%]) were both the most common and costliest (neutropenia: $5.52 billion; sepsis: $11.21 billion; and anemia: $6.78 billion) complications diagnosed on presentation to EDs; sepsis (odds ratio [OR], 21.00; 95% CI, 14.61-30.20), pneumonia (OR, 9.73; 95% CI, 8.08-11.73), and acute kidney injury (OR, 9.60; 95% CI, 7.77-11.85) were associated with inpatient admission. Costs related to the top 10 most common complications totaled $38 billion and comprised 48% of the total financial burden of the study cohort. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Emergency department visits for complications of systemic therapy or radiotherapy increased at a 5.5-fold higher rate over 10 years compared with overall ED visits. Neutropenia, sepsis, and anemia appear to be the most common complications; sepsis, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury appear to be associated with the highest rates of inpatient admission. These complications suggest that significant charges are incurred on ED visits.