Modelling kidney outcomes based on MELD eras - impact of MELD score in renal endpoints after liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury is a common complication in solid organ transplants, notably liver transplantation. The MELD is a score validated to predict mortality of cirrhotic patients, which is also used for organ allocation, however the influence of this allocation criteria on AKI incidence and mortality after liver transplantation is still uncertain. METHODS: This is a retrospective single center study of a cohort of patients submitted to liver transplant in a tertiary Brazilian hospital: Jan/2002 to Dec/2013, divided in two groups, before and after MELD implementation (pre-MELD and post MELD). We evaluate the differences in AKI based on KDIGO stages and mortality rates between the two groups. RESULTS: Eight hundred seventy-four patients were included, 408 in pre-MELD and 466 in the post MELD era. The proportion of patients that developed AKI was lower in the post MELD era (p 0.04), although renal replacement therapy requirement was more frequent in this group (p < 0.01). Overall mortality rate at 28, 90 and 365 days was respectively 7%, 11% and 15%. The 1-year mortality rate was lower in the post MELD era (20% vs. 11%, p < 0.01). AKI incidence was 50% lower in the post MELD era even when adjusted for clinically relevant covariates (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Liver transplants performed in the post MELD era had a lower incidence of AKI, although there were more cases requiring dialysis. 1-year mortality was lower in the post MELD era, suggesting that patient care was improved during this period.

Telehealth for Nutritional Care: A Tool for Improving Patient Flow in Hospitals.

Background: Hospitals are constantly searching for opportunities to improve efficiency, and telehealth (TH) has recently emerged as a strategy to assist in patient flow. We evaluated two methods of dietary counseling offered to patients in the time period between the medical and final hospital discharge. Counseling was given either via the TH group or the face to face (FTF) group to the patients and their respective impact was evaluated on the patients' satisfaction and on the hospital patient flow. Methods: This study was a prospective, randomized clinical trial where patients were randomized to receive dietary counseling via TH (use of tablet) or FTF at the time of hospital discharge. We evaluate the duration of time between medical discharge and hospital discharge; between requesting dietary counseling and dietitian's arrival; and duration of dietary counseling. At the end of dietary counseling, both groups received a patient satisfaction questionnaire to answer. Results: A total of 159 patients were randomized to receive dietary counseling via TH (TH, n = 78) or FTF (FTF, n = 81). The two groups TH and FTF did not differ in terms of the median time between (1) medical and hospital discharge; (2) requesting counseling and the dietitian's arrival; and (3) duration of dietary counseling. Both groups mostly reported being "satisfied" or "above expectations," and the FTF group scored "highest satisfaction" more often relative to the dietitian's work and interaction and on confidence in the dietitian's orientations. Finally, in the TH group, 90.7% graded likely-4 or very likely-5 when asked whether dietary counseling can be conducted entirely via TH, and 92% answered "4" or "5" when asked whether they would recommend dietary counseling via TH. Conclusions: Although the FTF group had a greater overall satisfaction relative to the TH group, TH proved to be a useful tool for dietary counseling.The trial has only Institutional Review Board approval (protocol 2685-16).

Fall prevention education for people with multiple sclerosis: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Online spaced education (OSE) is a method recognized for promoting long-term knowledge retention, changing behaviors and improving outcomes for students and healthcare professionals. However, there is little evidence about its impacts on patient education. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this research was to compare knowledge retention using educational brochure and OSE on individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and to verify the impact of educational methods on fall outcome. METHODS: Individuals with MS (n = 230) were randomly assigned to two types of patient education-educational brochure (control) and OSE (intervention). During 12 weeks, the intervention group received multiple-choice tests on fall prevention. Knowledge retention, behavior change and fall incidence were assessed before intervention and after 3 and 6 months. The participants' satisfaction with the education method was also evaluated. RESULTS: Knowledge retention was similar between groups, and behavior change was observed in both groups. There was a significant reduction in fall rate in the intervention group, from 0.60 to 0.27 at 6 months (P < 0.001). Participants' satisfaction achieved an average of 8.75, with no differences between groups. CONCLUSION: Individuals demonstrated significant improvement in fall rate outcome in both groups with no significant difference. In regard to test scores and satisfaction, results were similar between groups.

Intermittent hemodiafiltration as a down-step transition therapy in patients with acute kidney injury admitted to intensive care unit who initially underwent continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRT) are initially employed in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) in ICU setting. After the period of serious illness, hemodialysis is usually used as a mode of transition from CRRT. Intermittent hemodiafiltration (HDF) is not commonly applied in this scenario. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of using HDF as transition therapy after CVVHDF in critically patients with AKI. METHODS: An observational and prospective pilot study was conducted in ICU patients with dialysis-requiring AKI. Patients were initially treated with CVVHDF and, after medical improvement, those who still needed renal replacement therapy were switched to HDF treatment. RESULTS: Ten Patients underwent 53 HDF sessions (mean of 5.3 sessions/patient). The main cause of renal dysfunction was sepsis (N = 7; 70%). The APACHE II mean score was 27.6 ± 6.9. During HDF treatment, the urea reduction ratio was 64.5 ± 7.5%, for ß-2 microglobulin serum levels the percentage of decrease was 42.0 ± 7.8%, and for Cystatin C was 36.2 ± 6.9%. Five episodes of arterial hypotension occurred (9.4% of sessions). There were 20 episodes of electrolytic disturbance (37.7% of sessions), mainly hypophosphatemia. No pyrogenic or suggestive episode of bacteremia was observed. CONCLUSION: Hemodiafiltration was safe and efficient to treat critically ill patients with acute kidney injury during the transition phase from continuous to intermittent dialysis modality. Special attention should be paid regarding the occurrence of electrolytic disturbance, mainly hypophosphatemia.

Evaluation of Influenza A H1N1 infection and antiviral utilization in a tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND: Influenza A H1N1 infections carry a significant mortality risk. This study describes inpatients with suspected and confirmed Influenza A H1N1 infection who were prescribed oseltamivir, the risk factors associated with infection, the association between infection and mortality, and the factors associated with in-hospital mortality in infected patients. METHODS: This study was a matched case-control study of hospitalized patients who underwent real-time polymerase chain reaction testing for Influenza A H1N1 and were treated with oseltamivir from 2009 to 2015 in a tertiary care hospital. Cases (patients with positive Influenza A H1N1 testing) were matched 1:1 to controls (patients with negative test results). RESULTS: A total of 1405 inpatients who underwent PCR testing and received treatment with oseltamivir were identified in our study and 157 patients confirmed Influenza A H1N1. Almost one third of patients with Influenza A H1N1 were diagnosed in the pandemic period. There was no difference in mortality between cases and controls. Immunocompromised status, requirement of vasoactive drugs, mechanical ventilation, acute hemodialysis, albumin administration, surgical procedures and thoracic procedures and length of stay were associated with increased risk of death in Influenza A H1N1 infected patients. CONCLUSIONS: We found no increased risk of mortality for patients with proven Influenza A H1N1 when compared to similar patients without confirmed Influenza.

Acid base variables predict survival early in the course of treatment with continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration.

Metabolic acid-base disorders, especially metabolic acidosis, are common in critically ill patients who require renal replacement therapy. Continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) achieves profound changes in acid-base status, but metabolic acidosis can remain unchanged or even deteriorate in some patients. The objective of this study is to understand the changes of acid-base variables in critically ill patients with septic associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) during CVVHDF and to determine how they relate to clinical outcome.Observational study of 200 subjects with SA-AKI treated with CVVHDF for at least 72 hours. Arterial blood gases and electrolytes and other relevant acid-base variables were analyzed using quantitative acid-base chemistry.Survivors and nonsurvivors had similar demographic characteristics and acid-base variables on day one of CVVHDF. However, during the next 48 hours, the resolution of acidosis was significantly different between the 2 groups, with an area under the ROC curve for standard base excess (SBE) and mortality of 0.62 (0.54-0.70), this was better than APACHE II score prediction power. Quantitative physicochemical analysis revealed that the majority of the change in SBE was due to changes in Cl and Na concentrations.Survivors of SA-AKI treated with CVVHDF recover hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis more rapidly than nonsurvivors. Further study is needed to determine if survival can be improved by measures to correct acidosis more rapidly.

Serum Soluble-Fas, Inflammation, and Anemia in Acute Kidney Injury.

Anemia is a common feature in critically ill patients. Serum soluble-Fas (sFas) levels are associated with anemia in chronic kidney disease. It is possible that sFas levels are also associated with anemia in acute kidney injury (AKI) patients. The study aims to investigate the relationship between serum levels of sFas, erythropoietin (Epo), inflammatory cytokines, and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration in critically ill patients with AKI. We studied 72 critically ill patients with AKI (AKI group; n = 53) or without AKI (non-AKI group; n = 19), and 18 healthy volunteers. Serum sFas, Epo, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, iron status, and Hb concentration were analyzed in all groups. We also investigated the correlation between these variables in the AKI group. Critically ill patients (AKI and non-AKI groups) had higher serum levels of Epo than healthy volunteers. Hb concentration was lower in the AKI group than in the other groups. Serum sFas, IL-6, TNF-α, and ferritin levels were higher in the AKI group. Hb concentration correlated negatively with serum IL-6 (r = -0.37, P = 0.008), sFas (r = -0.35, P = 0.01), and Epo (r = -0.27, P = 0.04), while serum sFas correlated positively with iron levels (r = 0.36, P = 0.008) and IL-6 (r = 0.28, P = 0.04) in the AKI group. In multivariate analysis, after adjusting for markers of inflammation and iron stores, only serum sFas levels (P = 0.03) correlated negatively with Hb concentration in the AKI group. Serum Epo and inflammatory cytokine levels are elevated in critically ill patients with or without AKI. Serum levels of sFas are elevated and independently associated with anemia in critically ill patients with AKI.

Identification of Clostridium difficile Asymptomatic Carriers in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) increases concern that asymptomatic carriers of toxigenic C. difficile may be diagnosed with CDI. METHODS: A matched case control study was conducted in inpatients in a tertiary care center. The first 50 patients with diarrhea and a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test beginning February 1, 2015, were identified as cases. Control patients were hospitalized patients receiving antibiotics, but with no diarrhea, housed in a room as close as possible to each case during the same admission time. A convenience sample of healthcare workers who cared for C. difficile infected patients was also tested. RESULTS: We found two positive PCR results for C. difficile in controls (4.1%). None of these healthcare workers were positive for C. difficile by PCR. There was no difference between groups with respect to overall antibiotic use before the requested PCR for Clostridium difficile (p = 0.359). The majority of cases had a high proportion of gastrointestinal disorders (71.4%) compared with control (8.2%), p < 0.001. Patients with neoplasia had a higher chance of being identified as cases (p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: PCR should not be the only diagnostic tool but should be complementary to other methods and to the medical history.

Outcomes and Predictive Factors Associated with Adequacy of Antimicrobial Therapy in Patients with Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection.

BACKGROUND: Central venous catheters are significant risk factors for bloodstream infection (BSI), which are directly associated with increased morbidity and mortality. METHODS: This study was a retrospective cohort study for the time period of July 2011-June 2014 in patients with central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) to determine the microbiological profile and antimicrobial adequacy of patients with CLABSI in a tertiary hospital. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-one CLABSI cases were identified. Ninety-two percent (n = 111) of patients had monomicrobial BSI. Gram-negative bacteria were the most prevalent (49%, n = 63), with Klebsiella spp. predominating (30%, n = 19). Among the Gram-positive bacteria (n = 43, 33%), coagulase-negative staphylococci was the major pathogen (58%, n = 25), and all isolates were methicillin resistant. Antimicrobial therapy was assessed as adequate in 81% (n = 98) of cases. In-hospital mortality was 36% (n = 43 cases). CONCLUSION: Our CLABSI patients had a high mortality, although antimicrobial therapy was appropriate. Gram-negative bacteria were responsible for almost half of the cases and there was a high rate of bacteria resistance to extended-spectrum antibiotics.

Evaluation of Two Methods for Determination of CD64 as a Diagnostic Marker of Infection in Critically Ill Adults.

Objectives. Diagnostic markers of infection have had little innovation over the last few decades. CD64, a marker expressed on the surface of neutrophils, may have utility for this purpose. Methods. This study was conducted in an adult intensive care unit (ICU) in São Paulo, Brazil, with 89 patients. We evaluated CD64 in patients with documented or clinically diagnosed infection (infection group) and controls (patients without any evidence of infection) by two different methodologies: method #1, an in house assay, and method #2, the commercial kit Leuko64 (Trillium Diagnostics). Results. CD64 displayed good discriminating power with a 91.2% sensitivity (95% CI 90.7-91.6%) for detecting infection. The commercial kit (Leuko64) demonstrated higher specificity (87.3%) compared with method #1 as well as better accuracy (88.8%). Conclusions. CD64 seems to be a promising marker of infection in the intensive care setting, with Leuko64 showing a slight advantage.

Correlation between mass and volume of collected blood with positivity of blood cultures.

BACKGROUND: The collection of blood cultures is an extremely important method in the management of patients with suspected infection. Microbiology laboratories should monitor blood culture collection. METHODS: Over an 8-month period we developed a prospective, observational study in an adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU). We correlated the mass contained in the blood vials with blood culture positivity and we also verified the relationship between the mass of blood and blood volume collected for the diagnosis of bloodstream infection (BSI), as well as we explored factors predicting positive blood cultures. RESULTS: We evaluated 345 patients with sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock for whom blood culture bottles were collected for the diagnosis of BSI. Of the 55 patients with BSI, 40.0% had peripheral blood culture collection only. BSIs were classified as nosocomial in 34.5%. In the multivariate model, the blood culture mass (in grams) remained a significant predictor of positivity, with an odds ratio 1.01 (i.e., for each additional 1 mL of blood collected there was a 1% increase in positivity; 95% CI 1.01-1.02, p = 0.001; Nagelkerke R Square [R(2)] = 0.192). For blood volume collected, the adjusted odds ratio was estimated at 1.02 (95% CI: 1.01-1.03, p < 0.001; R(2) = 0.199). For each set of collected blood cultures beyond one set, the adjusted odds ratio was estimated to be 1.27 (95% CI: 1.14-1.41, p < 0.001; R(2) = 0.221). CONCLUSIONS: Our study was a quality improvement project that showed that microbiology laboratories can use the weight of blood culture bottles to determine if appropriate volume has been collected to improve the diagnosis of BSI.

Agreement on the prescription of antimicrobial drugs.

BACKGROUND: There is universal awareness of the difficulties faced by doctors when prescribing antimicrobials. METHODS: Over a six-month period patients hospitalized in the ICU and under treatment with antibiotics and/or antifungals were eligible to participate in the study. The data were assessed by two infectious diseases specialists. Once completed, all case forms were sent independently to both evaluators (TZSC and ARM) by e-mail. Based on the data received, the evaluator completed a form automatically generated on the e-mail and returned it to the original mailbox for further analysis. We assessed the level of agreement between infectious disease specialists and the physicians directly responsible for the decision to begin antimicrobial therapy, as well as to assess the appropriateness of the regimen prescribed. RESULTS: Among the antimicrobial regimens prescribed to the 177 patients, 36% were considered inappropriate by specialist #1 and 38% were considered inappropriate by specialist #2. We found 78% agreement by at least one of the infectious disease specialists with the prescribed antimicrobial regimen, and in 49% of cases both specialists agreed with the prescribed regimen. Both disagreed with the prescribed regimen in 22% of the cases and they disagreed between themselves in 29% of the cases. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the difficulties in prescribing effective empirical antimicrobial therapy--they are of such magnitude that even two specialists in infectious diseases, well acquainted with our hospital's resistance patterns and our patients' profiles have considerable disagreement.

Measuring hand hygiene compliance rates in different special care settings: a comparative study of methodologies.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare methods for assessing compliance with hand hygiene in an intensive care unit (ICU), a step-down unit (SDU), and a hematology-oncology unit. METHODS: Over a 20-week period, we compared hand hygiene compliance measurements by three different methods: direct observation, electronic handwash counter for alcohol gel, and measuring the volume of product used (alcohol gel) in an ICU, an SDU, and a hematology-oncology unit of a tertiary care, private hospital. RESULTS: By direct observation we evaluated 1078 opportunities in the ICU, 1075 in the SDU, and 517 in the hematology-oncology unit, with compliance rates of 70.7%, 75.4%, and 73.3%, respectively. A total of 342,299, 235,914, and 248,698 hand hygiene episodes were recorded by the electronic devices in the ICU, SDU, and hematology-oncology unit, respectively. There were also 127.2 ml, 85.3 ml, and 67.6 ml of alcohol gel used per patient-day in these units. We could find no correlation between the three methods. CONCLUSIONS: Hand hygiene compliance was reasonably high in these units, as measured by direct observation. However, a lack of correlation with results obtained by other methodologies brings into question the validity of direct observation results, and suggests that periodic audits using other methods may be needed.

The use of real-time feedback via wireless technology to improve hand hygiene compliance.

BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene (HH) is widely regarded as the most effective preventive measure for health care-associated infection. However, there is little robust evidence on the best interventions to improve HH compliance or whether a sustained increase in compliance can reduce rates of health care-associated infection. METHODS: To evaluate the effectiveness of a real-time feedback to improve HH compliance in the inpatient setting, we used a quasiexperimental study comparing the effect of real-time feedback using wireless technology on compliance with HH. The study was conducted in two 20-bed step-down units at a private tertiary care hospital. Phase 1 was a 3-month baseline period in which HH counts were performed by electronic handwash counters. After a 1-month washout period, a 7-month intervention was performed in one step-down unit while the other unit served as a control. RESULTS: HH, as measured by dispensing episodes, was significantly higher in the intervention unit (90.1 vs 73.1 dispensing episodes/patient-day, respectively, P = .001). When the intervention unit was compared with itself before and after implementation of the wireless technology, there was also a significant increase in HH after implementation (74.5 vs 90.1 episodes/patient-day, respectively, P = .01). There was also an increase in mean alcohol-based handrub consumption between the 2 phases (68.9 vs 103.1 mL/patient-day, respectively, P = .04) in the intervention unit. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated an improvement in alcohol gel usage via implementation of real-time feedback via wireless technology.

[Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among professionals during humanitarian aid in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010]. / Sintomas de estresse pós-traumático em profissionais durante ajuda humanitária no Haiti, após o terremoto de 2010.

The scope of this article is to screen the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among the professionals who provided humanitarian aid for the Haitian population after the 2010 earthquake. It involvess a cross-sectional study. The Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R) was used for screening symptoms of PTSD. The participants included 32 Brazilians (mean age = 37.58 +/-7.01), 22 Americans (mean age =33.67 +/-8.03) and 12 Ecuadorians (mean age = 44.80 +/- 15.88). The professionals did not have PTSD symptoms. The relationship between prior experience variables in disaster situations and the total score of the IES-R (F (2) = 4.34, p = 0.017), as well as prior experience in disaster situations and the intrusion subscale (F (2) = 3.94, p = 0.024) were significant in linear regression models. The number of prior experiences was revealed as a significant predictor for the total score of IES (p < 0.05). The results showed that current experiences can be exacerbated by memories of prior experiences, increasing the likelihood of developing PTSD. Therefore the mental health care of the professionals should foster the early identification of prior experience risk factors, thereby not permitting voluntary initiative to transcend selective criteria and specific care.

Improving the diagnosis of meningitis due to enterovirus and herpes simplex virus I and II in a tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND: Enterovirus and herpes simplex viruses are common causes of lymphocytic meningitis. The purpose of this study was to analyse the impact of the use molecular testing for Enteroviruses and Herpes simplex viruses I and II in all suspected cases of viral meningitis. METHODS: From November 18, 2008 to November 17, 2009 (phase II, intervention), all patients admitted with suspected viral meningitis (with pleocytosis) had a CSF sample tested using a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). Data collected during this period were compared to those from the previous one-year period, i.e. November 18, 2007 to November 17, 2008 (phase I, observational), when such tests were available but not routinely used. RESULTS: In total, 2,536 CSF samples were assessed, of which 1,264 were from phase I, and 1,272 from phase II. Of this total, a NAAT for Enterovirus was ordered in 123 cases during phase I (9.7% of the total phase I sample) and in 221 cases in phase II (17.4% of the total phase II sample). From these, Enterovirus was confirmed in 35 (28.5%, 35/123) patients during phase I and 71 (32.1%, 71/221) patients during phase II (p = 0.107). The rate of diagnosis of meningitis by HSV I and II did not differ between the groups (13 patients, 6.5% in phase I and 13, 4.7% in phase II) (p = 1.0), from 200 cases in phase I and 274 cases in phase II. CONCLUSIONS: The number of cases diagnosed with enteroviral meningitis increased during the course of this study, leading us to believe that the strategy of performing NAAT for Enterovirus on every CSF sample with pleocytosis is fully justified.

Effect of implementing an acute myocardial infarction guideline on quality indicators.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the compliance rates to quality of care indicators along the implementation of an acute myocardial infarction clinical practice guideline. METHODS: A clinical guideline for acute myocardial infarction was introduced on March 1st, 2005. Patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction from March 1st, 2005 to December 31st, 2012 (n=1,431) were compared to patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction before the implementation of the protocol (n=306). Compliance rates to quality of care indicators (ASA prescription on hospital admission and discharge, betablockers on discharge and door-to-balloon time) as well as the length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality were compared before and after the implementation of the clinical guideline. RESULTS: The rates of ASA prescription on admission, on discharge and of betablockers were higher after guideline implementation: 99.6% versus 95.8% (p<0.001); 99.1% versus 95.8% (p<0.001); and 95.9% versus 81.7% (p<0.001), respectively. ASA prescription rate increased over time, reaching 100% from 2009 to 2012. Door-to-balloon time after versus before implementation was of 86(32) minutes versus 93(51) (p=0.20). The length of hospital stay after the implementation versus before was of 6(6) days versus 6(4) days (p=0.34). In-hospital mortality was 7.6% (before the implementation), 8.7% between 2005 and 2008, and 5.3% between 2009 and 2012, (p=0.04). CONCLUSION: The implementation of an acute myocardial infarction clinical practice guideline was associated with an increase in compliance to quality of care indicators.

Clinical and economic impact of procalcitonin to shorten antimicrobial therapy in septic patients with proven bacterial infection in an intensive care setting.

Biomarkers such as procalcitonin (PCT) have been studied to guide duration of antibiotic therapy. We aimed to assess whether a decrease in PCT levels could be used to reduce the duration of antibiotic therapy in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with a proven infection without risking a worse outcome. We assessed 265 patients with suspected sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock in our ICU. Of those, we randomized 81 patients with a proven bacterial infection into 2 groups: an intervention group in which the duration of the antibiotic therapy was guided by a PCT protocol and a control group in which there was no PCT guidance. In the per-protocol analysis, the median antibiotic duration was 9 days in the PCT group (n = 20) versus 13 days in the non-PCT group (n = 31), P = 0.008. This study demonstrates that PCT can be a useful tool for limiting antimicrobial therapy in ICU patients with documented bacterial infection.

Impact of acute kidney injury exposure period among liver transplantation patients.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury is a common complication of liver transplantation. In this single-centre retrospective observational study, we investigated the impact of acute kidney disease on liver recipient survival. METHODS: The study population consisted of patients who underwent a liver engraftment between January 2002 and November 2006, at a single transplantation centre in São Paulo, Brazil. Acute kidney injury diagnosis and staging were according to the recommendations of the Acute Kidney Injury Network and consisted of scanning the daily serum creatinine levels throughout the hospital stay. Patients requiring renal replacement therapy prior to transplantation, those who developed acute kidney injury before the procedure or those receiving their second liver graft were excluded from the study. RESULTS: A total of 444 liver transplantations were performed during the study period, and 129 procedures (29%) were excluded. The remaining 315 patients constituted the study population. In 207 procedures, the recipient was male (65%). The mean age of the population was 51 years. Cumulative incidence of acute kidney injury within 48 h, during the first week after transplantation, and throughout the hospital stay was 32, 81 and 93%, respectively. Renal replacement therapy was required within a week after the transplantation in 31 procedures (10%), and another 17 (5%) required replacement therapy after that period. Mean follow-up period was 2.3 years. Time in days from acute kidney injury diagnosis to initiation of replacement therapy or reaching serum creatinine peak was associated with lower overall survival even when adjusted for significant potential confounders (HR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01, 1.05; p=0.002). Overall, patients experiencing acute kidney injury lasting for a week or more before initiation of replacement therapy experienced a threefold increase in risk of death (HR 3.02; 95% CI 2.04, 4.46; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Acute kidney injury after liver transplantation is remarkably frequent and has a substantial impact on patient survival. Delaying the initiation of renal replacement therapy in such population may increase mortality by more than 20% per day.