An overview of morbidity and mortality in patients with acute renal failure due to crush syndrome: the Marmara earthquake experience.

BACKGROUND: On August 17, 1999 a major earthquake hit the most densely populated area at the eastern end of the Marmara Sea in northwestern Turkey. The number of documented cases of acute renal failure (ARF) following this event exceeded all similar cases previously reported for any single earthquake. The aim of this report was to provide an overview of the morbidity and mortality of all documented patients with ARF, due to crush injury, that were treated in hospitals with dialysis units following the Marmara earthquake. METHODS: Special questionnaires were sent out to all hospitals with dialysis units known to have admitted earthquake victims with ARF and related crush injuries. Responses to questionnaires from the Turkish Society of Nephrology (TSN) Task Force were collected from 35 hospitals in October 1999. We retrospectively evaluated patients, clinic and laboratory findings, surgical interventions, and frequency and duration of dialysis. Patients who died before or on admission and those with prior chronic renal disease were excluded from the study. RESULTS: A total of 639 patients (291 female and 348 male) with ARF due to crush injury were hospitalized in 35 hospitals. The mean age was 31.6+/-14.7 years and 71.1% were young adults within the range of 16-45 years. 477 patients (74.6%) received one or more dialysis treatments, 162 patients were not dialysed, 15 patients died before dialysis could be instituted, and 147 patients recovered without dialysis treatment. 340 patients were oliguric on admission. The most important abnormalities related to ARF as a result of crush injury morbidity, were oliguria (53.2%), uraemia (94%), high creatinine levels (87%), hyperkalaemia (42%), hyperphosphataemia (63%), hypocalcaemia (83%), and high creatinine phosphokinase levels (73 %). 512 patients had a total of 790 extremity injuries. Eighty-three patients (12.9%) had fractures of the extremities and non-extremity fractures were observed in 59 (9.2%) patients. 323 fasciotomies were performed. Thoracic and abdominal trauma was observed in 110 patients (17.2%). Infection and sepsis were observed in 223 (34.9%) and 121 (18.9%) patients, respectively. Haematologic abnormalities were observed in 197 patients (33%) including 116 with Htc < or =30%. There were pulmonary problems in 96 patients (15%), cardiovascular problems in 198 patients (30.9%), gastrointestinal problems in 23 (3.16%), neurologic problems in 43 (6.7%), and psychiatric problems in 7 (1%) patients. Ninety-seven of the 639 patients with ARF as a result of crush injury died (15.2%), and mortality rates were 17.2 and 9.3% in dialysed and non-dialysed patients, respectively. Findings significantly associated with mortality were sepsis, thrombocytopenia, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and abdominal and thoracic traumas. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that in cases of severe disasters such as major earthquakes, patients should be rapidly transferred to undamaged peripheral general hospitals. When proper dialysis and intensive care facilities together with around the clock dedicated human effort are available, crush injury-related ARF patients have a lower mortality. Mortality, when it occurs, is mainly associated with thoracic and abdominal trauma and medical problems such as DIC and/or ARDS/respiratory failure, often in conjunction with sepsis.     

Declining mortality in patients with acute renal failure, 1988 to 2002

Despite improvements in intensive care and dialysis, some experts have concluded that outcomes associated with acute renal failure (ARF) have not improved significantly over time. ARF was studied in hospitalized patients between 1988 and 2002 using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a nationally representative sample of discharges from acute-care, nonfederal hospitals. During a 15-yr period, 5,563,381 discharges with ARF and 598,768 with ARF that required dialysis (ARF-D) were identified. Between 1988 and 2002, the incidence of ARF rose from 61 to 288 per 100,000 population; the incidence of ARF-D increased from 4 to 27 per 100,000 population. Between 1988 and 2002, in-hospital mortality declined steadily in patients with ARF (40.4 to 20.3%; P < 0.001) and in those with ARF-D (41.3 to 28.1%; P < 0.001). Compared with 1988 to 1992, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of death was lower in 1993 to 1997 (ARF: OR 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61 to 0.64; ARF-D: OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.66) and 1998 to 2002 (ARF: OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.41; ARF-D: OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.50). The percentage of patients who had ARF with a Deyo-Charlson comorbidity index of 3 or more increased from 16.4% in 1988 to 26.6% in 2002 (P < 0.001). This study provides evidence from an administrative database that the incidence of ARF and ARF-D is rising. Despite an increase in the degree of comorbidity, in-hospital mortality has declined.     

Incidence and mortality of acute renal failure in Medicare beneficiaries, 1992 to 2001

This study's objective was to determine the incidence and mortality of acute renal failure (ARF) in Medicare beneficiaries. Data were from hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries (5,403,015 discharges) between 1992 and 2001 from the 5% sample of Medicare claims. For 1992 to 2001, the overall incidence rate of ARF was 23.8 cases per 1000 discharges, with rates increasing by approximately 11% per year. Older age, male gender, and black race were strongly associated (P < 0.0001) with ARF. The overall in-hospital death rate was 4.6% in discharges without ARF, 15.2% in discharges with ARF coded as the principal diagnosis, and 32.6% in discharges with ARF as a secondary diagnosis. In-hospital death rates were 32.9% in discharges with ARF that required renal dialysis and 27.5% in those with ARF that did not require dialysis. Death within 90 d after hospital admission was 13.1% in discharges without ARF, 34.5% in discharges with ARF coded as the principal diagnosis, and 48.6% in discharges with ARF as a secondary diagnosis. Discharges with ARF were more (P < 0.0001) likely to have intensive care and other acute organ dysfunction than those without ARF. For discharges both with and without ARF, rates for death within 90 d after hospital admission showed a declining trend. In conclusion, the incidence rate of ARF in Medicare beneficiaries has been increasing. Those of older age, male gender, and black race are more likely to have ARF. These data show ARF to be a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients.     

The Marmara earthquake: epidemiological analysis of the victims with nephrological problems

BACKGROUND: Crush syndrome resulting from earthquakes is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, as seen during the catastrophic Marmara earthquake that struck Northwestern Turkey in August 1999. This report analyzes the epidemiological characteristics of the crush syndrome victims of this disaster. METHODS: In order to analyze the nephrological problems caused by this earthquake, questionnaires were prepared within the first week of the disaster and sent to 35 reference hospitals that treated the victims. Data obtained by these questionnaires are the subject of this report. RESULTS: Of the 5302 hospitalized patients in reference hospitals, 639 (12.0%) suffered from nephrological problems, and 477 (9.0%) needed dialysis support. Considering the patients with renal problems, there was not any significant difference in gender; however, the incidence of children younger than 10 years and the older population (older than 60 years of age) was significantly lower as compared with the resident population of the affected area (P < 0.001). Nonsurvivors were older (34.5 +/- 16.1 years) than survivors (31.2 +/- 14.4 years, P = 0.048), while no deaths were recorded under the age of 10. Most patients (70.1%) were admitted within the first three days after the earthquake, and the mortality rate among these victims was higher (17.7%) as compared with victims admitted thereafter (10.0%, P = 0.016). The average time period under the rubble was 11.7 +/- 14.3 hours, which was not significantly different between survivors and nonsurvivors, while the victims who required dialysis support spent shorter durations under the rubble, as compared with the ones who were not dialyzed at all (10.3 +/- 9.5 vs. 15.9 +/- 23.1 hours, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Victims of catastrophic earthquakes are characterized by a high incidence of renal problems and the need for dialysis support. The incidence of nephrological problems is lower in children, while the period of time under the rubble is not a prognostic indicator of survival.     

Etiology, prognosis, and outcome of post-operative acute renal failure

A Multivariate analysis was done in all patients who developed post operative ARF, during the period 1990-1995 to determine the etiological spectrum and to identify various variables affecting the outcome. Of 140 patients (110 operated at SGPGI and 30 operated outside) 116 underwent elective surgery. The different types of surgery leading to ARF were urosurgery (3.5%), open heart surgery (32.9%), gastrosurgery (16.4%), pancreatic surgery (9.3%), obstetrical surgery (3.6%) and others (2.8%). The incidence of ARF in SGPGI patients was highest in pancreatic surgery group (8.2%) followed by open heart surgery (3%). The different etiological factors responsible for ARF were perioperative hypotension (67.1%), sepsis (63.6%) and exposure to nephrotoxic drugs (29.3%). Sixty-four patients (45.7%) required dialysis. The overall mortality was 45%. The mortality was highest in patients who underwent open heart surgery (89.1%) followed by pancreatic surgery (84.6%). The factors associated with high mortality, other than the type of surgery, were preoperative hypotension (p < 0.05), oliguria (p < 0.01), need for dialysis (p < 0.05) and multiorgan failure (p < 0.001). AM following emergency surgery had poor outcome, though not statistically significant. Perioperative sepsis (p < 0.05) and preoperative use of aminoglycoside (p < 0.05) were significantly higher in patients operated outside SGPGI. This was associated with higher incidence of ARF. Thus we conclude that presence of multiorgan failure, oligoanuria, preoperative hypotension and need far dialysis are poor prognostic markers in ARF following surgery.     

Predictors of mortality in elderly patients with acute renal failure in a developing country

This prospective study was undertaken to systematically analyze the predictors of mortality in the elderly in a developing country. All elderly patients with ARF hospitalized at this tertiary care centre over 1 year were studied. Various predictors analyzed were hospital-acquired ARF, causative factors of ARF, preexisting hypertension and diabetes mellitus, severity of renal failure (initial and peak serum creatinine, need for dialysis), and complications of ARF: infection during the course of illness; serum albumin levels and critical illness defined as presence of two or more organ system failures excluding renal failure. Of 33,301 patients admitted, 4,255 (12.7%) were elderly. Of these 69 (1.6%) had ARF. On analysis of the whole group, both young and elderly, age >60 years had an independent predictor of mortality (odds ratio 5.6, P = 0.001). Forty-two of the 69 (60.9%) elderly ARF patients died. The mortality was significantly increased in those elderly with hospital-acquired ARF (79.2%, P = 0.027), those with sepsis as a cause of ARF (71.2%, P = 0.004), those who required dialysis (72.5%, P = 0.022), those developing an infection during the course of ARF (87.9%, P = 0.000) and in those with a critical illness (90.0%, P = 0.00). On logistic regression analysis of those variables that were significant on univariate analysis, only critical illness (odds ratio 9.97) and infection during course (odds ratio 9.72) were the independent predictors of mortality. To conclude, ARF complicates only 1.6% of hospitalized elderly patients but is associated with a high mortality rate of 61%. Infection during the course of illness and critical illness were the independent predictors of mortality.     

ETIOLOGY,PROGNOSIS, AND OUTCOME OF POST-OPERATIVE ACUTE RENAL FAILURE

A Multivariate analysis was done in all patients who developed post operative ARF, during the period 1990–1995 to determine the etiological spectrum and to identify various variables affecting the outcome. Of 140 patients (110 operated at SGPGI and 30 operated outside) 116 underwent elective surgery. The different types of surgery leading to ARF were urosurgery (3.5%), open heart surgery (32.9%), gastrosurgery (16.4%), pancreatic surgery (9.3%), obstetrical surgery (3.6%) and others (2.8%). The incidence of ARF in SGPGI patients was highest in pancreatic surgery group (8.2%) followed by open heart surgery (3%). The different etiological factors responsible for ARF were perioperative hypotension (67.1%), sepsis (63.6%) and exposure to nephrotoxic drugs (29.3%). Sixty-four patients (45.7%) required dialysis. The overall mortality was 45% The mortality was highest in patients who underwent open heart surgery (89.1%) followed by pancreatic surgery (84.6%). The factors associated with high mortality, other than the type of surgery, were preoperative hypotension (p <0.05), oliguria (p <0.01), need for dialysis (p <0.05) and multiorgan failure (p <0.001). AM following emergency surgery had poor outcome, though not statistically significant. Perioperative sepsis (p <0.05) and preoperative use of aminoglycoside (p <0.05) were significantly higher in patients operated outside SGPGI. This was associated with higher incidence of ARF. Thus we conclude that presence of multiorgan failure, oligoanuria, preoperative hypotension and need far dialysis are poor prognostic markers in ARF following surgery.     

Renal failure in the ICU: comparison of the impact of acute renal failure and end-stage renal disease on ICU outcomes

BACKGROUND: Acute renal failure (ARF) is associated with a persistent high mortality in critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Most studies to date have focused on patients with established, intrinsic ARF or relatively severe ARF due to multiple factors. None have examined outcomes of dialysis-dependent chronic renal failure [end-stage renal disease (ESRD)] patients in the ICU. We examined the incidence and outcomes of ARF in the ICU using a standard definition and compared these to outcomes of ICU patients with either ESRD or no renal failure. We sought to determine the impact of renal dysfunction and/or loss of organ function on outcome. METHODS: We prospectively scored 1530 admissions to eight ICUs over a 10-month period for illness severity at ICU admission using the Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE III) evaluation tool. Patients were defined as having ARF based on the definition of Hou et al (Am J Med 74:243-248,1983) designed to detect significant measurable declines in renal function based on serum creatinine. ESRD patients were identified as being chronically dialysis-dependent prior to ICU admission and the remainder had no renal failure. Clinical characteristics at ICU admission and ICU and hospital outcomes were compared between the three groups. RESULTS: We identified 254 cases of ARF, 57 cases of ESRD and 1219 cases of no renal failure for an incidence of ARF of 17%. Roughly half the ARF patients had ARF at ICU admission and the remainder developed ARF during their ICU stay. Only 11% of ARF patients required dialysis support. ARF patients had significantly higher acute illness severity scores than those with no renal failure, whereas patients with ESRD had intermediate severity scores. ICU mortality was 23% for patients with ARF, 11% for those with ESRD, and 5% for those with no renal failure. There was no difference in outcome between patients who had ARF at ICU admission and those who developed ARF in the ICU. Patients with ARF severe enough to require dialysis had a mortality of 57%. APACHE III predicted outcome very well in patients with no renal failure and patients with ARF at the time of scoring but underpredicted mortality in those who developed ARF after ICU admission and overestimated mortality in patients with ESRD. CONCLUSIONS: ARF is common in ICU patients and has a persistent negative impact on outcomes, although the majority of ARF is not severe enough to require dialysis support. The mortality of patients with ARF from all causes is almost exactly similar to that noted using the same criteria two decades ago. More profound ARF requiring dialysis continues to have an even greater mortality. Nevertheless, acute declines in renal function are associated with a mortality that is not well explained simply by loss of organ function. The majority of ARF patients who did not require dialysis still had a considerably higher mortality than the ESRD patients, all of whom required dialysis; while ARF patients who did require dialysis had a much higher morality than ESRD patients. APACHE III performs well and captures the mortality of patients with ARF at the time of scoring. Development of ARF after scoring has a profound effect on standardized mortality. We were unable to identify a unique mortality associated with ARF, but the presence of measurable renal insufficiency continues to be a sensitive marker for poor outcome.     

Acute renal failure in patients with pre-existing renal dysfunction following coronary artery bypass grafting

BACKGROUND: Pre-existing renal dysfunction predisposes to acute renal failure (ARF) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. We assessed the incidence and impact of the development of ARF in this patient population in our unit. METHODS: One-hundred and six patients had a preoperative serum creatinine of >or=0.13 mmol/L and underwent coronary artery bypass grafting in the year 2000. The incidence of ARF (as defined by a >or=50% rise in postoperative serum creatinine), hospitalization days, dialysis requirement, in-hospital and 1-year mortality, and potential risk factors for ARF were recorded. RESULTS: Of the patients recorded, 43/104 (41.35%) developed ARF following coronary artery bypass grafting. Patients with ARF stayed in hospital longer (P < 0.02). Ten out of forty-three patients required some form of dialysis and the in-hospital mortality of the renal failure group was 23% compared to 3.1% in the other group (P < 0.002). One year postoperatively, the group with renal failure had significantly worse survival (71.8% vs 98%P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: For patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, pre-existing renal dysfunction predisposes to the development of ARF, this is associated with prolonged hospitalization and increased mortality.     

320例急性肾功能衰竭患者的临床分析

目的 探讨急性肾功能衰竭（ARF）住院患者的病因、预后及影响预后的因素。 方法 回顾性研究我院2003年12月至2006年12月期间急性肾功能衰竭患者的临床资料。 结果 观察期间住院患者共108 744例次，其中ARF患者320例，老年ARF患者135例，占42.2%。ARF主要病因为感染、心力衰竭和药物。ARF患者总体病死率为31.9%，老年人病死率较高。Logistic回归分析显示心力衰竭、呼吸衰竭及恶性肿瘤是与预后相关的危险因素。接受肾替代治疗组患者病死率低于保守治疗组（23.2％比35.6％，P < 0.05）。 结论 住院患者中ARF的发生率、病死率高，替代治疗组预后较好。     

Acute renal failure independently predicts mortality after myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) have a high incidence of acute renal failure (ARF). However, it is unclear if ARF is independently associated with mortality after this procedure. METHODS: We performed meta-analysis of published reports on ARF after myeloablative allogeneic HCT. Four databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science) and hand searching of conference proceedings were used to identify the studies. ARF was defined as the doubling of serum creatinine occurring within the first 100 days after HCT. The absolute and the relative risks for death after ARF were calculated for every study. The combined relative risk was calculated using the random effects model. Also, multivariate analysis of patient level data was performed on patients from The University of Colorado to establish independent association between ARF and mortality. RESULTS: One thousand two hundred and eleven patients were included in the meta-analysis from the 6 published reports in the literature. The overall incidence of ARF varied from 42% to 84% in these studies. On combining the studies by random-effects model, the relative risk of death after ARF was 2.22 (95%CI 1.38-3.5, P < 0.001). The analysis of patient level data from the University of Colorado demonstrated increasing mortality with worsening grades of ARF. After controlling for various demographic and clinical variables with logistic regression, patients who required dialysis had a 6.8-fold higher association with mortality. CONCLUSION: ARF appears to independently influence mortality after myeloablative allogeneic HCT. Future studies should be aimed at interventions that can reduce the incidence and severity of ARF with this procedure.     

Acute Renal Failure in Hospitalized Patients in China: A Prospective Study

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a common complication in hospitalized patients, but little is known about the epidemiology of ARF in China. In this study, we performed a prospective examination of the cause, prognosis, and risk factors associated with ARF at a hospital in Shanghai, China. We considered all ARF patients who were admitted to our hospital from December 2003 to December 2006. Among the 320 ARF patients, 135 (42.2%) were over the age of 60. Sepsis, heart failure, and nephrotoxic drug use were the leading causes of ARF. The overall mortality rate was 31.9%, and mortality rate was significantly higher among the elderly. Logistic regression indicated that heart failure, respiratory failure, and malignant cancer were risk factors independently associated with poor prognosis. In this Shanghai hospital, there was a high incidence and mortality rate of patients hospitalized with ARF. The prognosis of patients who underwent renal replacement therapy was better than those who were treated more conservatively.     

地震灾害中挤压综合征伤员的早期处理与疗效分析

目的 探讨在地震灾害中挤压综合征伤员的早期处理方案及治疗效果.方法 对"5.12"四川大地震中收治的32例挤压综合征伤员的早期治疗方案及短期疗效进行分析.结果 1例伤员死亡,22例患肢行筋膜室切开减压术后感觉运动功能不同程度恢复,保肢成功;5例伤员行伤肢截肢手术;24例伤员实验室检验指标恢复正常,7例伤员实验室检验指标不同程度恢复.2例伤员切口感染,经治疗后感染控制.结论 地震灾害中挤压综合征伤员的早期处理对预后有重要影响及早行筋膜室切开减压及血液透析治疗能够有效降低死亡率,改善预后.     

Renal dysfunction and serious infections after open-heart surgery

BACKGROUND: Infections and sepsis are important determinants of mortality in patients with renal dysfunction. We studied the influence of preoperative renal function or postoperative acute renal failure (ARF) on the frequency of infections after open-heart surgery. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 24,660 patients undergoing open-heart surgery from 1993 to 2000. Primary outcome was occurrence of serious infections after open-heart surgery; secondary outcome was hospital mortality. RESULTS: Overall incidence of infections after open-heart surgery was 3.3%. The infection rate was higher in patients with lower preoperative creatinine clearance, ranging between 2.2% and 10.0%. Regarding postoperative ARF, the frequency of infections was 58.5% in those patients requiring dialysis vs. 23.7% in those with ARF not requiring dialysis (P < 0.001); within each subgroup, however, the infection rates were similar regardless of the baseline renal function. In patients who did not develop ARF by either of our definitions, the infection rate was 1.6%. By multivariate analysis, preoperative renal function was an independent risk factor associated with infections [odds ratio (OR) for preoperative creatinine>1.2 mg/dL, 1.3; CI, 1.1 to 1.6]. The relationship between preoperative renal function and infection prevailed even after excluding the patients with postoperative ARF. The overall morality was 2.2%; the mortality in patients with serious infection was 31.7%. CONCLUSION: Both preoperative renal dysfunction and postoperative ARF influence the frequency of serious infections after open-heart surgery. The infection rate was higher in patients with postoperative ARF regardless of the baseline renal function. However, preoperative renal dysfunction portended higher risk of infection, independent of the influence of postoperative ARF.     

Acute renal failure in patients with sepsis in a surgical ICU: predictive factors,incidence, comorbidity,and outcome

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a common complication in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Although there are several reports on outcome of septic patients with ARF, there are no data regarding predisposing factors for ARF. Therefore, the incidence of ARF was investigated in 185 sepsis patients admitted in a surgical ICU during a 16-mo period. Variables predisposing to ARF on day 1 of sepsis were evaluated with univariate and multivariable analyses. APACHE II and SOFA scores were compared during a 14-d period. Additionally, the impact of organ failure on mortality was evaluated. ARF developed in 16.2% of the patients, and 70.0% of these needed renal replacement therapy (RRT). Patients with ARF were more severely ill and had a higher mortality. Remarkably, serum creatinine was already increased on day 1. Creatinine > 1 mg/dl and pH < 7.30, both on day 1 of sepsis, were independently associated with ARF. Age, need for vasoactive therapy, mechanical ventilation, and RRT, but not ARF itself, were associated with mortality. In conclusion, ARF was a frequent complication in sepsis. Sepsis patients with ARF were more severely ill and had a higher mortality. Need for RRT was independently associated with mortality. A simple risk model for ARF, on basis of two readily available parameters on day 1 of sepsis, was developed. This model allows initiating specific therapeutic measures earlier in the course of sepsis, hopefully resulting in a lower incidence of ARF and needi for RRT, thereby lowering mortality.     

Clinical findings in the renal victims of a catastrophic disaster: the Marmara earthquake.

BACKGROUND: The clinical course of acute renal failure (ARF) related to crush syndrome is very complex, because of co-existing surgical and/or medical complications. After the devastating Marmara earthquake that struck Turkey in August 1999, 639 patients were identified with nephrological problems, whose clinical findings have been the subject of this analysis. METHODS: Specific questionnaires asking about 63 variables were sent to 35 reference hospitals that treated the victims. Clinical findings of the renal victims were analysed. RESULTS: At admission, high fever was noted in 31.8% of the patients; the temperature of non-survivors was higher (P=0.027). Mean blood pressure was higher in survivors (P=0.004) and dialysed victims (P <0.001). Most (61.4%) patients were oligo-anuric; oliguria lasted for 10.8+/-7.2 days. Thoracic and abdominal traumas were associated with a higher risk of mortality. 397 fasciotomies and 121 amputations were performed in 790 traumatized extremities. Fasciotomies were associated with sepsis (P<0.001) and dialysis needs (P<0.0001), while amputations were associated with mortality (P<0.0001). Medical complications, which were associated with dialysis needs (P<0.0001) and mortality (P<0.0001), were observed in 51.5% of patients. In a multivariate analysis model of medical complications, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (P<0.0001, OR=5.81), and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (P=0.0001, OR=4.53) were predictors of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In the aftermath of catastrophic earthquakes, clinical findings of the renal victims can predict the final outcome. While fasciotomies indicate dialysis needs, extremity amputations, abdominal and thoracic traumas are associated with higher rates of mortality in addition to DIC and ARDS.     

Retrospective analysis on Chinese patients diagnosed with acute renal failure hospitalized during the last decade (1994-2003)

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the epidemiology, diagnosis and prognosis of acute renal failure (ARF) in hospitalized Chinese during the last decade. METHODS: The diagnosis of patients with ARF in Peking University Third Hospital from January 1994 to December 2003 was reconfirmed and the data of epidemiology, etiology and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: Only 209 discharged cases were diagnosed with ARF and all were reconfirmed. Two peak occurrences were found at ages of 35-45 and 60-80 with a male predominance of approximately 59.7%. Patients diagnosed with ARF accounted for 1.19 per thousand of the admissions in the same period and increased significantly in the last 5 years (p = 0.038). The creatinine level at diagnosis was 345.8 +/- 122.6 micromol/l and had no significant change (p > 0.05). The percent of hospital-acquired ARF (HA-ARF) demonstrated a significant increase in 1999-2003 compared to 1994-1998 (p = 0.008). Intrarenal ARF accounted for 73.69% and was multifactorial, with drugs, infections and operations as leading causes. Renal biopsy was performed in 37.32% (78/209) with 53.84% (42/78) having acute interstitial nephritis. Maintenance dialysis was discontinued in 46.41% because their renal function completely or partially recovered. The overall mortality was 37.91% without improvement over time. The mortality was 6.25% for patients in nephrology department, but 65.51% in ICU (p < 0.001), and was 21.6% for patients in community-acquired ARF (CA-ARF), but 63.1% in HA-ARF (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the past 10 years, the number of patients diagnosed with ARF has been rising in hospitalized Chinese. HA-ARF was the major source, and infections, drugs and operations were the leading causes. The diagnosis and prognosis of acute renal failure did not improve much in this population over the decade studied.     

Acute and chronic renal disease in hospitalized AIDS patients

We performed a retrospective chart analysis on 449 AIDS patients admitted to Bellevue Hospital Center from 1983-1986 to characterize the etiologies and clinical course of acute renal failure (ARF) and to define the incidence and clinical course of AIDS-associated nephropathy (AAN) in an unselected hospitalized AIDS population. Defining ARF as a rise from baseline serum creatinine of at least 2.0 mg%, we found 88 cases (a prevalence of almost 20%) or 14.5 cases per 100 admissions. Volume depletion was the most common etiology and was as severe a cause of ARF as other etiologies. There were 21 cases of ARF in 17 patients with a peak serum creatinine greater than or equal to 6.0 mg%. Volume depletion accounted for 7/21 of these cases. Baseline renal insufficiency existed in 9/17 patients (12/21 cases) and volume depletion was the cause of ARF in 3 of these cases. Only 4 cases required dialysis. There were 34 patients (prevalence of 7.6% or 3.0 cases per 100 patient-years) with otherwise unexplained chronic renal insufficiency and/or persistent qualitative or quantitative proteinuria and thus were defined on clinical grounds to have AIDS-associated nephropathy. Thirty-two of these patients (94%) had evidence of AAN at or within 1 year of presentation. Eleven patients (32%) reached ESRD (serum creatinine greater than or equal to 6.0 mg%); 9 patients did so within 1 year of presentation and 3 required dialysis. In those with adequate follow-up (9 cases), the mean survival from time of ESRD was 25.5 days and all cases died within 6 months of reaching ESRD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Acute renal failure in the surgical setting

Acute renal failure (ARF) is an unwelcome complication of major surgical procedures that contributes to surgical morbidity and mortality. Acute renal failure associated with surgery may account for 18-47% of all cases of hospital-acquired ARF. The overall incidence of ARF in surgical patients has been estimated at 1.2%, although is higher in at-risk groups. Mortality of patients with ARF remains disturbingly high, ranging from 25% to 90%, despite advances in dialysis and intensive care support. Appreciation of at-risk surgical populations coupled with intensive perioperative care has the capacity to reduce the incidence of ARF and by implication mortality. Developments in understanding the pathophysiology of ARF may eventually result in newer therapeutic strategies to either prevent or accelerate recovery from ARF. At present the best form of treatment is prevention. In this review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment and possible prevention of ARF will be discussed.     

Influence of renal dysfunction on mortality after cardiac surgery: modifying effect of preoperative renal function

BACKGROUND: Acute renal failure (ARF) requiring dialysis is an independent risk factor of mortality after cardiac surgery; the level of preoperative renal function influences the risk of both postoperative ARF and mortality. The relationship between mild renal dysfunction and mortality, and the modifying effect of baseline renal function on this association, is less clear. METHODS: We studied 31,677 patients undergoing cardiac surgery between 1993 and 2002. We used a logistic regression model to assess the relationship between postoperative renal dysfunction and mortality, while adjusting for preoperative renal function, postoperative ARF requiring dialysis, and other risk factors. RESULTS: The overall postoperative mortality rate was 2.2% (698/31,677). For the entire cohort, a clinically relevant increase in the adjusted risk of mortality occurred beyond 30% decline in postoperative GFR. The mortality rate was 5.9% (N, 292/4986) among patients who developed 30% or greater decline in postoperative GFR not requiring dialysis versus 0.4% (N, 106/26,136) among those with <30% decline (P < 0.001). A significant interaction between preoperative GFR and percent change in postoperative GFR (P < 0.001) indicated that at equivalent degrees of renal dysfunction, the mortality risk was greater at a lower preoperative GFR. ARF requiring dialysis was strongly associated with mortality in the model (odds ratio 4.2; 95% CI 3.1-5.7). CONCLUSION: Renal dysfunction not requiring dialysis is an independent risk factor of mortality after cardiac surgery. A better preoperative GFR attenuates the effect of postoperative renal dysfunction on mortality; this interaction needs to be considered while defining a clinically relevant threshold of ARF.