Kidney international
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Kidney international · Jun 2012
ReviewICU nephrology: the implications of cardiovascular alterations in the acutely ill.
Cardiovascular alterations are common in critically ill patients and can have important implications for multiple organ systems, including the kidney. Restoring and maintaining adequate hemodynamic status in such patients is crucial to ensure sufficient oxygen availability to tissues and organs so that they can function optimally. In this text, we will return to the basic physiology of cardiac output and its components so that we can better understand the effects of cardiovascular alterations in critically ill patients, and how best to treat them.
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Patients cared for in the intensive care unit (ICU) undergo multiple interventions to treat serious medical conditions. In addition to the acute illness being treated, underlying chronic conditions require ongoing drug therapy. As a result, these patients are exposed to numerous pharmaceutical agents, many of which have narrow therapeutic windows and toxic potential. ⋯ One such complication is acute kidney injury (AKI), a relatively common problem in the ICU, which results from multiple insults. Importantly, potentially nephrotoxic medications contribute significantly to the development of AKI. In view of these issues, it is crucial that clinicians caring for these patients use appropriate drug dosing based on the knowledge of altered pharmacokinetics, vigilant monitoring of drug efficacy and toxicity, recognition of drugs with nephrotoxic potential, and early identification of drug-induced AKI when it develops.
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Despite the availability of renal replacement therapy, acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with high mortality and morbidity. In humans, it is difficult to determine whether AKI is a cause or consequence of excess morbidity. In animal models, however, it is increasingly clear that AKI induces distant organ dysfunction. ⋯ Specifically, growing evidence implicates renal injury as an instigator and multiplier of pulmonary, cardiac, hepatic, and neurologic dysfunction. Accurate identification of these pathways will be critical in developing targeted therapies to improve outcomes in AKI. The purpose of this review is to summarize both clinical and preclinical studies of AKI and its role in distant organ injury.
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Kidney international · May 2012
ReviewAKI in the ICU: definition, epidemiology, risk stratification, and outcomes.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) has emerged as a major public health problem that affects millions of patients worldwide and leads to decreased survival and increased progression of underlying chronic kidney disease (CKD). Recent consensus criteria for definition and classification of AKI have provided more consistent estimates of AKI epidemiology. Patients, in particular those in the ICU, are dying of AKI and not just simply with AKI. ⋯ The detrimental effects of AKI are not limited to classical well-known symptoms such as fluid overload and electrolyte abnormalities. AKI can also lead to problems that are not readily appreciated at the bedside and can extend well beyond the ICU stay, including progression of CKD and impaired innate immunity. Experimental and small observational studies provide evidence that AKI impairs (innate) immunity and is associated with higher infection rates.