The incidence and prognostic significance of acute kidney injury.
OBJECTIVE
Acute kidney injury is an increasingly common and potentially catastrophic complication in hospitalized patients. This review summarizes the major epidemiologic studies that have informed our understanding of the incidence and prognostic significance of acute kidney injury.


RESULTS
Early observational studies from the 1980s and 1990s established the general epidemiologic features of acute kidney injury, including the incidence, prognostic significance and predisposing medical and surgical conditions. Recent multicenter observational cohorts and administrative databases have enhanced our understanding of the overall disease burden of acute kidney injury and trends in its epidemiology. An increasing number of clinical studies focusing on specific types of acute kidney injury (e.g. following exposure to intravenous contrast, sepsis and major surgery) have provided further details into this heterogeneous syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
In light of the increasing incidence and prognostic significance of acute kidney injury, new strategies for prevention and treatment are desperately needed.
Waikar
Sushrut S
SS
Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. swaikar@partners.org
Liu
Kathleen D
KD
Chertow
Glenn M
GM
D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D004813:Epidemiology / Q000639:trends; D006753:Hospital Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis
D003404:Creatinine