• Laura Gallop, Jack Hickey, Richard Johnson, and Paul Secombe.
• Medical Retrieval and Consultation Centre, Alice Springs Hospital, Alice Springs (Mparntwe), Northern Territory, Australia.
• Intern Med J. 2025 Jan 17.

BackgroundSepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) is common among patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with sepsis.AimsThis study aimed to demonstrate an association between an episode of SA-AKI and progression to dialysis dependence, with a view to identifying a cohort who may be suitable for intensive nephrology follow-up.MethodsDesign: Retrospective data-linkage cohort study.SettingAlice Springs Hospital ICU, 10-bed regional facility, housed in a 200-bed regional hospital, located in Central Australia.ParticipantsAll patients admitted with a diagnosis code associated with sepsis between 2015 and 2017.Main Outcome MeasuresPrimary outcome was a composite measure comprising death or initiation of maintenance dialysis within 5 years of the index case of sepsis leading to ICU admission.ResultsThe unadjusted risk of the composite outcome was significantly higher in the SA-AKI group (odds ratio (OR) 3.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.81-5.74, P < 0.01). This effect remains after adjustment for age, illness severity and co-morbidities (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.64, 95% CI 1.22-5.68, P = 0.01). Progression to maintenance dialysis was the primary driver of this effect (OR 7.56, 95% CI 2.23-25.65, P = 0.02), although it was modified by the effect of confounders (aOR 7.3, 95% CI 0.7-75.94, P = 0.10).ConclusionsThese results demonstrate an association between an index episode involving SA-AKI and the composite outcome in a defined population. Identification of this group may allow intensive nephrology follow-up and secondary prevention with the goal of mitigating the risk of progression of disease with significant economic and personal benefits.© 2025 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

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